The Edge Of Darkness
by rsb57
Summary: The end of a murder investigation is only the beginning of trouble for Starsky and Hutch.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER; I DO NOT OWN ANY PART OF STARSKY AND HUTCH FRANCHISE. THE FOLLOWING IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT ONLY.**

**Author's note:** This story almost never got posted. I had a hard time with the dark turn my imagination kept pointing me toward. But in the end, just like Starsky and Hutch, friends helped me see that I was up to the challenge and that I would ultimately benefit from the journey this story took me on.

This story focuses on the aftermath of a case and the havoc caused by a convicted man. Trouble is not over just because the man is temporarily behind bars.

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**THE EDGE OF DARKNESS**

The end of a terrifying murder investigation left both Starsky and Hutch emotionally and physically drained. The victims were all young women who had no family and basically lived on the streets. The killer stalked these women, believing that no one cared if they lived or died. He'd pick them up at night, drug them, abuse them, kill them and then dump their bodies. The killer took a perverse pleasure in decorating the bodies, sort of his own personal graffiti. Some of the girls had red arrows painted on their torsos, almost like a map to a treasure chest. After the third gruesome murder, Starsky and Hutch had reached their limit. They were tired, right down to their souls.

The media grabbed onto the details and christened the killer as the Rubber Ducky Man. As an act of defiance, the man would place two unopened rubbers, still in the foil, across each eye of his victim with duct tape.

"Now look, you've got to work harder on this one! The media is having a field day and making us look inefficient and clumsy. Not to mention what the chief has been yelling at me about." Captain Dobey paced his office.

City officials started to come down hard on the Commisioner who then pressed Captain Dobey for a fast end to a string of crimes that had the city searching for answers. The big black man resorted to his characteristic badgering to get Starsky and Hutch motivated to come up with hard evidence to get the maniac off the streets.

The two detectives felt bewildered as they listened to their Captain's tirade of frustration. They both knew where the anger came from and also knew that the Captain realized just what they were all up against.

"Cap, Hutch and me have been going on 3 hours sleep a night, for the past month, trying to get to this guy. The press is only making things worse." Starsky slumped down in the leather chair in the corner of Captain Dobey's office. He had dark smudges under his eyes, attesting to the long hours and lack of sleep in the past month. His normally clean shaven face had dark stubble across his skin. He hadn't been home to properly groom in days.

As for Hutch, he'd had to work despite the persistent migraines that pounded at him. The nausea set up a chain reaction of not being able to eat so he'd lost 5 lbs in the last month. The weight loss made his already long frame look boney and his complexion was paler than usual. Captain Dobey was concerned about both men but the job demanded their constant vigil in order to track down this freak.

"Captain, even Huggy can't give us anything that remotely even smells like a clue. This killer is a shark who attacks without warning and leaves very little in his wake. He's playing with us. He knows we have very little to go on. The shit he's thrown at us is just that, crap. But I know in my gut he's gonna trip over himself soon and we'll catch him. You just gotta convince the higher ups that we're getting close and get off our backs. Let us alone to do our job." Hutch's speech dropped off as he rubbed his temples in an attempt to ward off another sharp headache.

He looked up when he felt a nudge to the top of his head. He looked up to see Starsky in front of him with a cup of water and two aspirin. Hutch gratefully took both and swallowed the aspirin. He sighed and stood up. As he passed his partner, he reached out to rest his hand on Starsky's shoulder. Hutch took up a new position against the door.

The three men went on for another hour discussing ideas and planning a new approach to apprehend the killer. The detectives eventually left the office to head back out to their car and have another look around.

But they couldn't catch a break until a week later when Huggy led them to a homeless man who'd seen something odd. For a decent meal and new coat without holes, the man led them to a crime scene. Yes it was another dead girl, but this time the killer was cocky and left more than just red arrows. He'd left the spray can and his own glove behind.

It took a few days, but the killer's arrogant mistake was the break that the police department needed.

The two detectives worked hard to prove that somebody cared about the otherwise nameless women who's only crime in life was that they didn't care enough about themselves to seek protection.

Another month went by with the discovery of one more murder but they finally had a name for the madman who was stalking defenseless women in the seediest part of Bay City. The killer's name was Stone Crawford. He'd been arrested before but only for petty things like burgleries and drug posession. Compared to his present calling card, those previous activities were childish in nature. The men were curious as to the violent turn in his pattern.

The arrest was made, paper work completed and Stone Crawford became Bay City Correctional Facility's newest inmate.

By this time, Starsky and Hutch had completed their investigation and had filed all the necessary reports. They took the first few hours to complete all their responsibilities. They accomplished this despite the constant disruptive atmosphere that was their life in the squad room. They were able to shut out all the other business that surrounded them, including the constant ring of phones, people's raised voices and other assorted interruptions.

The men were so bone weary that it took at least a half an hour for Captain Dobey's last words to finally sink in. Sometime ago, he'd passed by their desks in order to collect their reports and other assorted paper work related to the finished case.

"Go home and take the next two days off", the Captain had grumbled at the detectives. Starsky waved to his Captain to acknowledge the words but he was not immediately able to comprehend the full meaning of the statement.

Both men molded their bodies in two different types of a relaxed pose. Starsky sat on the back of his chair, with his head in his hands. The mug of cold coffee sat before him, long ago forgotten. Hutch's long legs crossed at the ankles, stretched out under the desk. Unlike Starsky's forgotten coffee, his coffee mug rested on his cheek. This was Hutch's attempt to avert the migraine he felt building. Sometimes heat helped stop the crushing pain from gaining the upper hand. So far, the warm coffee mug felt good against his face. He reached down to pick up the two white aspirin that Captain Dobey had placed there earlier. He picked them up, popped them into his mouth and took a sip of the water that had appeared with the aspirin.

Hutch pressed his fingers against the crease between his eyes. He wanted two things. He wanted enough energy to get out of his chair and the second was, to make sure Starsky was still breathing. The dark haired man had not moved in at least 15 minutes. Starsky's ability to sleep anywhere crossed the blond's mind as he shifted in his chair. He cleared his throat but when that didn't disturb the curly headed statue, Hutch reached over to gently nudge the jean clad bent leg.

Finally a grunt and a yawn proved that Starsky was indeed conscious.

"Wasn't sure if you were frozen in that pose or if you were asleep." Hutch smiled at Starsky's questioning glance.

"Nope, just checking my eyelids for holes", Starsky responded around another wide yawn, "But I could sure use different surroundings and two days of undisturbed sleep."

"Well you weren't dreaming about it buddy. That's exactly what Dobey told us to do. So if you can get your butt off the chair, why don't we head home and start our down time?" Hutch stood up and stretched his back out. He wondered if the headache would ever disappear.

Neither man was capable of doing anything else but putting one foot in front of the other. Neither could think past their own beds. The idea of food for Starsky was replaced in favor of a long hot shower and a long sleep.

Celebrating would wait until the trial was over. Hutch just didn't have the heart to feel relief. He couldn't shake the slightly nauseous feeling he had. He attributed it to another severe headache and really just wanted to go home, close the blinds and give himself up to unconsciousness. But he didn't like the little voice that kept nagging at him. Somehow, he knew that none of them would be rid of Stone Crawford so easily. Rather than share his concerns with Starsky, he let the other man's tired ramblings wash over him instead. He gave in to the friendly banter and back slapping gratitude of the other officers they passed on their way to the parking garage.

"Hey Hutch, you wanna come back to my place for beer and pizza?... You okay buddy, you're awfully quiet." Starsky turned toward the silent blond once they stepped into the elevator. He reached out his hand to massage Hutch's neck and shoulder.

For the first time in weeks, Starsky took the time to really examine his partner. Hutch had definately lost weight and there was no shine in the clear blue eyes. Starsky was concerned but refrained from nagging.

"Starsky I'm fine. I'm just very tired and I'm gonna pass on the pizza and beer. I just want to go home and get rid of this damn headache. It's been building again all day and now I just need a dark, quiet room for 12 hours and then I'll feel human again." Hutch proferred a tired, half smile on his best friend. He patted the hand still resting on his shoulder and as the elevator doors opened, he squeezed that hand a little tighter.

The two men walked toward their cars. Hutch felt himself shiver as his shoes echoed in the open garage. It was the only noise he heard but he just felt so nervous. He only hoped he could keep his concerns from Starsky otherwise, he'd have a constant companion for the next few hours. As much as he relied on his partner's good intentions, today just wasn't a day for 'mother henning'. He needed time to unwind and figured Starsky needed to do the same. Hutch would be glad when the trial came and would put Stone Crawford away for good.

Neither man spoke again as they neared their cars. But as they unlocked their doors, they glanced at each other over the car hoods. A thousand words passed unspoken between them. Starsky saluted his friend and nodded slightly as he ducked his head to sink behind the steering wheel.

Getting home sounded good to Starsky as well.

So once the men reached their respective apartments, each took their own path toward relaxing and putting the gruesome murders behind them.


	2. Chapter 2

**THE EDGE OF DARKNESS**

**CHAPTER 2**

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As Starsky and Hutch went about recharging their energy with sought after solitude and quiet, the man responsible for their deflated attitudes sat contemplating his future and looked forward to the end of his confinement.

Stone Crawford was tall and thin. His long, greasy hair grew down his back. His eyes were dark with anger as he looked around him.

He sat in his dirty, cramped jail cell wearing the Bay City issue drab green prison overalls. He was annoyed at himself for getting caught but he knew these walls and the bars in front of him were only temporary. His attorney had told him that he would be moved to a maximum security prison further up the coast. That would happen after his trial. But before he was arrested, he'd anticipated all possible scenarios and made arrangements with his buddies to get him out of any jail he ended up in. Mainly everythng he did, from each detail of a murder, to what to say, got him closer to his ultimate goal.

Often the intensity of the sounds in his head, caused him to ball up his fists and press them against his temples. But he had come to welcome the echoes and whispers. He was never alone. Besides, didn't everyone have a little voice in their head?

But now, it was his own anger and hatred that drove his thoughts to focus on his situation.

He really, really hated those two cops involved in bringing him down. He'd enjoyed the game at first when he could keep the lawmen running around in circles looking for clues to the girls he'd murdered. But now that the game was over, he really just wanted to eliminate the two of them for good. The word on the street was that if Starsky and Hutch were on your tail, then you were fried. Stone didn't really think anybody would catch him since he'd been so careful. He admitted that he'd gotten a little too over convident and too intent on ruining the reputation of two of the city's finest cops. But in the end, Stone realized that these two were really good at what they did. But they had not seen the last of him.

Stone sat on the thin, stained mattress on the bed, thinking about what brought him to this cross road in his life. Certainly it was a cross road because he knew that the only way for his life now to be avenged would result in his death. His death would occur either through the jail system, or if he had his way, in an old fashioned shoot out with his death being the ultimate prize. But he wouldn't go down alone or without becoming a legend because he wanted Starsky and Hutch. He wanted to be the one responsible for eliminating them forever.

Stone was not a man that normally left an impression one way or the other when you first met up with him. He was just an average looking guy who was soft spoken and always a good neighbor. He usually wore his long, stringy hair in a ponytail. His green eyes were often flecked with yellow and would normally be thought of as sexy. But the eyes had a way of becoming narrow and dark when Stone had murder on his mind. It was then that the promise of his destiny urged him to kill. The taste of power pushed him to seek other victims.

Stone laughed at his ability to hood wink all those girls into thinking he was just concerned about their life. He lured them in with his promise to turn their existence into something better. By the time they realized they were in trouble and should not have listened to his soft promises of helping them get what society owed them, the victims were already drugged and not able to struggle with him. By then, his captives were so pliant and anxious to please him, that Stone just had his way with them. That is until he got bored and then angry which led to the abuse and eventual murder.

Stone longed to leave behind something for people to talk about. He wanted to be a local legend. He'd never done anything worthwhile in his life and no one had ever encouraged him to better himself, so in his death, he would become the city's newest tale of mystery and fiction. He hoped that years from now the details of his escapade would become so overblown and distorted that no one would even remember the truth, only his name.

He was so lost in his own fantasy that it wasn't until a harsh voice and loud clanging up against the bars of his cell did he jump with confusion. The guard laughed as he enjoyed the cringing man in front of him. Joe enjoyed the new inmates. It took them awhile to get used to the sound of the heavy club as it banged against the metal bars. But once they grew to anticipate this annoying sound, the inmates didn't react except to get angry.

"C'mon you worthless piece of crap. You got a phone call. Don't know why you should even be allowed that privilege. Stand up with your back to the bars and put your hands behind you."

Joe Glover was one of the biggest guards around. Most of the inmates didn't give him any trouble. It was just easier that way. Too many rumors made it even outside the jail for anyone to want to test him. Joe counted on that.

Stone did as he was told and he winced as he felt the metal cuffs dig into his wrists. Joe pulled him around and poked him in the side with his club. Stone grunted but didn't fight back. This was not his time to make a statement but it was coming. He only hoped Joe would be around when it all came down. Just one more piece to add to Stone's growing fantasy.

Joe led Stone to the bank of phones and locked him in the airless cubicle with a small barred window. There was only a chair and a phone on the wall. But Stone knew that even if there wasn't a surveillance device visible, then he was sure that the phone call would be bugged. But it was okay, because he had worked out a phone call code so that whoever called him would understand his message and Stone would understand the caller's words.

"Stone here, who's this?" Stone watched a cloud moving past the small window. The cloud was in the shape of a rabbit, he thought, as he waited for the caller to identify themself.

'_hey how're ya doin' Uncle Stone? Ricky says hi but he can't come to the phone.'_

Stone knew it was his best buddy Ricky and that Ricky couldn't talk long.

"Hey just tell him to be good. You too ya monkey. Take your mother out for dinner. She'll like that." Stone hoped that Ricky remembered that dinner meant he should be watching Starsky and Hutch closely now.

_'oh sure, it's already planned. someplace different. I heard of a bar with good food and pool tables. She likes to play pool.'_

"Okay just be good to her while I'm gone. Don't want her to forget about me!... Oh shit!" Stone cringed and the wind whistled through his lungs as he tried to get away from the club that was stabbing at his back.

"Ummm, I gotta go now. Tell your mom I'll talk to her soon." Stone hung up the phone as once more the club connected with his back.

"Get going. No more free time for you." Joe resisted poking Stone again with the club. He didn't want any evidence of mistreatment when Stone met with his attorney. The less told, the longer Joe kept his job. So he divided his treatment between physical pain and verbal abuse, which could be just as rewarding.

For the next week, Stone sat in his single cell biding his time and waiting for the trial. Stone really didn't care what his attorney told him or what happened during the trial. Stone knew he was in deep shit. They had solid evidence against him for the murders and abuse of the girls. It was all just a formality. The real satisfying end for him would be when he was transfered to the maximum security prison. During his time waiting for the trial, the phone calls had continued or he'd been able to make calls out. Everything was set. The trial date kept getting pushed back. Something about the jury selection taking too long. Stone smiled at that. He knew that his friend would plant a spy and Stone would know from all angles how things were going. Stone was sure he'd be found guilty. His freedom and legendary status depended on that.

He sat and held his head. The voices made him dizzy with desire.

-------

Two more months went by until finally a trial date was set for Stone Crawford. During that time, Starsky and Hutch worked with the D.A. to finalize their evidence and work on their testimony. They did not want to leave any space for the defense attorney to put doubts into the minds of the jury. Any holes, vague references and questionable grounds were gone over with a fine tooth comb and problems were ironed out in advance of the trial. Both detectives felt confident in their ability to be effective witnesses and respond accordingly to any difficult questions. They had been prepared and were now ready to bring the case to trial. Normally, they took a back seat to court procedings and did not get so involved until it was time for the hearing but this time they did not want to take anything for granted. They wanted to be sure that the poor women would not be forgotten about and that their lives had meaning even if it was in their own death. The details of how the women struggled to the end affected both men and they really wanted to put it all behind them.

It only took the jury 6 hours to find Stone Crawford guilty of 4 counts of rape, murder and abuse of a corpse. The judge was particularly harsh in his sentence. He ordered Stone be delivered to the maximum security prison until his death sentence would be carried out. Unfortunately, the judge knew that Stone could very well live out his natural life on death row instead of an assisted, court appointed death. There were always so many roadblocks and petitions for a new trial that the really evil crimes rarely got the justice which was deserved. But the judge could only do what legally was available to him so in his mind, justice had been served.

Starsky and Hutch shook hands as the guilty verdict was read. A few loud voices raised a protest but the judge banged the gavel and all grew quiet again. Two officers approached Stone and pulled him to a standing position. Stone offered no resistence as his hands were cuffed together and a link of chain and lock were looped around his ankles. All of that was fastened with another shorter chain around his waist. The guards tested each link for security before they shoved the prisoner in the direction of the exit. He shuffled his feet and moved slower than necessary. He ignored the firm shove to his back and instead stopped. He turned in the direction of the spectators. He caught the eye of two of his friends and slightly nodded his head. Then his gaze wandered to Starsky and Hutch who stood talking to their Captain. All three men stopped their conversation and stared at the shackled man in the dark green prison attire.

Stone offered a pleasant smile and winked before he was roughly assisted out of the court room.

"That guy is a nut! He actually smiled at us. What was all that about?" Starsky pulled at his tie. " I just want out of this suit and forget about Stone Crawford"

Hutch stood quietly, watching as Stone exited through the door that led to the secure gate. He could feel the hairs standing up on the back of his neck. He didn't see anything funny in the smile and felt no relief at the out come of the trial.

"You both did good work. Your testimony left no room for doubts. The jury had no other option but find Crawford guilty." Captain Dobey slapped each man on the back and silently praised the hard work done by the police department on this one.

The three men walked toward the exit and were immediately mobbed by the media. The papers had been particularly harsh on the police department because of the seemingly slow and ineffective handling of the Stone Crawford case. At least daily in their coverage of the trial, there had been comments made that the two detectives involved were nonchalant and arrogant during the trial. It was speculated that the evidence was all cicumstantial and that the police commissioner was not confident in Detectives Starsky and Hutchinson.

So now as they faced the praise and congratulations of the press, both men did their best to avoid having to make any comments. They had not dealt well with the bad press and now were just anxious to put all the harsh reviews behind them. The annoyed blond would rather let the guilty plea speak for itself rather than have to put up with the fickle minds of the public. But they were unable to plow through the cameras and microphones shoved at them so Hutch took it upon himself to comment in as few words as possible. They were both relieved when Captain Dobey took the reigns and answered the reporter's questions. This made it possible for them to escape easily. Once the media had someone to talk to, the primary detectives were pretty much forgotten about.

Safely back outside, Starsky darted around to the driver's side and sank behind the wheel of the Torino. A quick bang on the passenger window and a muffled grunt, brought Starsky back from his thoughts. He reached across the seat to unlock the door for Hutch, who continued to complain as he slammed the Torino's door shut.

"God Starsky, what took so long? It's no good checking your look in the rear view mirror now, our public has forgotten us!" Hutch distractedly pushed his hand through his blond hair and brought the same hand down to rip off his tie.

Starsky smiled and let out a long breath.

"We owe Captain for taking the hit for us with the reporters. I just couldn't face them. I'm so damn tired. I just want to go home and collapse."

"Starsky, do you really think Bay City is safe from Stone Crawford? Don't you feel like we haven't seen the last of him?" Hutch turned in the seat to face Starsky. His normally clear blue eyes were shadowed and rimmed in red.

"C'mon Hutch, you heard the Judge. He's going back to the jail under heavy guard. You saw how he was all chained up and he ain't gonna be alone until he's transferred to the Maximum Security Facility up the coast and that will be under heavy guard as well. I gotta have some faith in our guys assigned to watch over him. What could possibly go wrong?"

Starsky hesitated and rubbed his own red, bleary eyes. One look at the blond and Starsky knew that it was the stress and adrenaline finally leveling off that had his partner so unsure of things.

Hutch sighed as he combed his hand through his thinning, blond hair. He leveled a trusting glance at Starsky and nodded his head.

"You're right. I know what I saw and what I heard, I just don't trust myself to believe it all. We've been living this case for so long and now... well, christ, why can't I let it all go?"

"Because it's that calculating brain of yours that always makes you think of things that don't exist. You pick everything apart and look for shit that isn't there. This Crawford guy has been a part of our lives for months. We haven't had dates, haven't been to Huggy's, hell--- we've hardly been in our own beds these last months. Just let it go blondie. I for one can't wait to get rid of you and then I'm going home for a nice long shower, some sleep and then tomorrow you'll see, things'll be brighter and more normal for ya!"

Starsky slapped Hutch on the back and only received a grunt as a reply.

The dark haired ball of energy started the engine of the big car, backed out of the parking space and headed toward Venice Place.

So after three weeks of testimony and evidence, the case of the Rubber Ducky Murders finally came to an end.


	3. Chapter 3

Stone Crawford sat on his ratty mattress in his tiny cell pouring over the paper and the report of the trial. He smiled to himself and every so often, let out a grunt of disbelief at the descriptions he read about himself. They called him cold blooded, heartless and expresionless. Well, they got that last part right. He worked hard not showing any emotion during the trial even though he wanted to grin with pride at himself for the way he'd kept the city's police department at bay for so long.

Stone laughed out loud at the nickname he'd been given. The Rubber Ducky Man! He thought he'd been pretty clever to leave the unopened rubbers on the eyes of his victims. Using the Duct tape was inspired, sort of an insult to the authorities. He had wanted to leave a clear message that he didn't care about the girls and also that the dead bodies had no way of revealing who had killed them.

Great, he had one nickname already. Soon, it would be his real name that would be written in local history. He was anxious to achieve his destiny.

The paper even said that at first the police detectives involved had been sloppy at solving the crime. They were blamed for the inordinate amount of time it took for the crimes to be solved and Stone Crawford brought to trial. But the next issue of the paper called for Starsky and Hutchinson to receive the Mayor's Hero Award for solving the difficult case. The media was so fickle! They were also easily duped. Stone had been found guilty but there was no way anyone could possibly know what would come next.

Except for his new friends here in prison. However, he had to remember that it was his friends outside the prison who he trusted despite the warning noises in his ears. The guard who had become a fast friend of his was the most surprising of all. Joe had initially been abusive and arrogant toward Stone but a few nicely presented gifts later and Joe's attitude changed dramatically. The guard was now in Stone's pocket and as long as those packages kept arriving weekly, Joe either was needed elsewhere when the inmate had company or the guard willingly played the go between when messages came for Stone.

Just the fact that he was still able to get the paper and be left alone for an hour to read it told Stone that his bribes were geared in the right direction. He also had been left alone as he showered, dressed and even occasionally he could talk on the phone without constant scrutiny. Stone still hated Joe and his fingers itched as he contemplated his plans for the abusive guard as well as for Starsky and Hutchinson.

Stone didn't question the delay in moving to the heavily guarded prison where he would live out his days or until his death sentence would be carried out. It didn't matter because he knew that he would never get to that new prison. Originally he was to have been moved 24 hours after the end of the trial but his attorney kept finding ways to delay that with silly loop holes. Stone just rolled with whatever happened. He would be informed in plenty of time about his move and as soon as it was definate, his plans would go into action.

He knew where and when he could find Starsky and Hutch. He could even manipulate his attorney to have him moved at a certain time. His attorney was one of those bleeding hearts and tried to make the best of things for his client. Stone had already begun weaving a story about his sick mother and that he didn't want to be moved until he was sure that his mother was moved to a nursing home. That was to happen in a few days. But in reality, that would be the signal that Starsky and Hutchinson where right where Stone wanted them. The voices echoing in his head were pleased. The voices promised him eternity.

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A few days later, Stone had a meeting with his attorney in the visitor's room. The room was dull with nothing in the way of decorations to even try to mask the fact that this was a prison. It didn't matter if your visitors were your kids, wife or parent... Everyone was sheephearded into the sparsley furnished room after a quick search of belongings and of person. The scratched, long desks had long ago been marked up with graffiti, swear words and obscene pictures without any attempt at covering up the more graphic artwork. None of the guards really cared how the utensils made it past inspection, all they cared about that the objects were never used against them. The wooden chairs were not in much better shape. There was only a clock on the wall to break the monotony of the painted walls. No amount of washing them would ever bring back their original color of white. Now the walls were stained by cigarettes and even a splatter here and there of the stains left by chewing tobacco. No attempt had ever been made nor would the atmosphere ever be improved. The prisoners had no privileges so what did it matter if their only space for recreation was little better than a rat trap? If the inmates chose to disrespect their living quarters, then the authorites saw no reason to give them anything better.

On this day, Stone had been particularly bored. He'd talked to his friend Ricky and by now, knew where the two detectives hung out and how often. Everything was set, he'd assured Stone. So what was taking so long? His attorney was due any minute and maybe today Stone would finally learn of his release and transfer. It was the first part of that information that he particularly cared about.

As it was, Stone lounged on the only piece of comfortable furniture in the room. None of the more seasoned inmates were present so the old, ratty over stuffed chair was free without recriminations. Had any one of the 'lifers' been present, then all other visitors would have had to make due with the straight backed wooden chairs. Stone felt around the many cut up pieces on the chair, hoping to find a forgotten joint or better, a small bag of coke hidden in the cotton backing that stuck out from the ripped upholstery.

His own cigarette hung from his mouth but this was his last one. It would be another week before Ricky could smuggle in another carton and even then it would end up being only 2 packs because most of the carton would go to Joe. But Stone hoped that he would be long gone before that week came.

A cigarette ash fell unnoticed onto the arm of the chair. It sparked for a second then faded away, only adding to the other burn marks on the arm of the chair. Like the walls, it was hard to remember what the original fabric of the chair looked like. Now it was full of rips with pieces of cotton sticking out and was stained with a lot of things that were better left not thought about.

The buzzer announced a visitor and the door clicked open. The guard checked the room, noting that other than Stone, the only other occupant was working on a puzzle and not at all interested in anything else. It was unusual for the room to be so empty this time of day but then again, it had been raining for days so not many visitors came. Who would want to visit anybody in prison when they had to drive for hours in the rain to end up in a dirty, smelly, crowded place full of undesirable relatives?

Philip Daniels didn't bother thanking the guard. He had news and just wanted to get back out of the building. He had tried to be kind to Stone but the man just didn't want to be helped. Some of his clients after trials, had found religion and became extremely sorry about what they had done to their victims. Those people Philip really tried to help. He bargained and pleaded for their care to be humane and safe, citing that they had truly repented for their sins and now deserved to be treated with respect.

But Stone just was sullen and gloomy and only cared about being moved. Philip now walked into the room and without hesitation, he announced that he was do to be moved in two days.

"But before you say anything, I want to give you one last chance to apologize for your crimes. It would at least make your last days so much easier on you. Your dear mother would want to know also that you have accepted Jesus and are truly sorry for what you've done. Wouldn't your mother's dying wish be that her son ask for forgiveness of such terrible crimes against those young women?" It seemed that Philip actually wrung his hands together as if to wipe out the crimes of the man in front of him. The attorney gave the impression of being a humble, god fearing man that most people wondered how he had the guts to be an attorney. But his idealistic wish to serve and protect the underdog gave him the reputation of a spineless, useless man. As for Philip, he was just doing what God had directed him to do.

"Jeeze man, can't you give up that crap? I only care that my mother is settled in the nursing home. I just need to make sure that happens, then I don't give a shit what happens to me."

Stone ground out his cigarette on the arm of the chair. The stub fell to the floor but was forgotten about. He stood up and paced the room. Philip gulped and wrung his hands again and sat up straighter in his chair.

"Well, Stone I've come to tell you two things. Your mother will be moved tomorrow and you will be going to the maximum security division of the state penitentiary the next day. Since you won't let me help you, then my business with you is done."

Rather inidignant, Philip stood up and moved toward the door. Stone faced away from him but stood still, his back straight. The attorney couldn't see the delight spreading across his face, Philip only saw the sag of the shoulders. If Stone had turned around then, the attorney would have been shocked to see the struggle Stone was having not to laugh. The slumped shoulders acted as a cushion to keep his laughter from bubbling up out of his throat.

"God bless you boy and I'll pray for your soul." Philip knocked once, the door opened and he slipped through the door without looking back.

Stone waited until the door clicked shut before reacting. He was so jubilant that he forgot about the other man in the room. He clicked his heels to the side and danced a jig. He knew that his time was near. All he needed now was to get a message to Ricky that the day after tomorrow would be the beginning of the end. The legend of Stone Crawford was about to begin.

--------

Acting appropriately concerned, Stone took the news that upon entering the nursing home, his mother succumed to a heart attack and died with her son's name on her lips. The prison Chaplan had requested a meeting with the inmate. Unaware that he was actually delivering a message, the Chaplan tried to console the prisoner by telling him that he would meet his mother again on 'the other side'. Stone squeezed out a few crocodile tears and thanked the man in the tight white collar for his concern and blessing. As quickly as he could, he excused himself, stating that he would rather be alone with his mother's memory as he ambled his way back to his cell.

Joe was still monitoring Stone's activities, but no activity was ever questioned as long as he requested anything. Joe had a spotless and honest reputation in the jail. At least the warden thought so. As long as order was kept within the prison and the inmates were quiet and compliant, the warden knew that there would never be an investigation into the practices in his prison.

So now, Joe stood outside Stone's closed cell. They still needed to keep up the appearance of guard to inmate but actually Joe was there to give the details of his transfer the next day.

"Okay slick, back up in your cell and listen up! Tomorrow at one p.m., you'll be moved to the security holding area. You'll strip, submit to a full body search and then get a shower. Then you'll be given a new prison jump suit. Once you reach your destination, the process will start all over again. Every step you take, I'll be right there with you, watching your ass. No time or room for funny business so keep that smirk off your face before I peel it off you!" Joe was having way too much fun but Stone didn't care as long as everything else was set up for his escape.

"Shut the fuck up and just get it over with. You'll like my pretty ass I'm sure!" Stone didn't try to hide his dislike for Joe now. He had to make the whole thing look real for the plan to work. He had to fight back enough so that it would appear that only Joe could keep him under control. It was important to Stone that he be close enough to smell fear of death on Joe's breath and see the look of surprise in his beady eyes as he rid the prison of one more abusive guard.

Stone's fantasy about himself was growing. He would also be remembered as the man who took down the most hated guard in the whole Bay City prison system.

Now all that was left was to wait for the next day and just go through the motions of acting anxious and agitated before he would make his escape. The wheels were in motion, the time line was set and best of all, Starsky and Hutch would be right where Stone wanted them.

Stone let Joe drone on about whatever. All Stone cared about was his future. The pounding in his head was particularly painful but he had learned to relax and not fight the messages. It was the promise of his destiny that he thrived on.


	4. Chapter 4

**THE EDGE OF DARKNESS**

**CHAPTER 4**

---------------

The next day dawned overcast and chilly. Runny oatmeal along with cold toast was the only choice Stone had for his breakfast. At least the coffee was hot. But it wouldn't have mattered what he ate, nothing would have tasted the way it should have. He was surprised that he was so nervous. He just wanted so badly to get the day moving along. He had not slept all night because he kept going over the plan in his head. He knew that special arrangements had been made for Joe to be the only guard taking him to the maximum security prison.

Even though the prison was just 20 miles away, standard protocol dictated that prisoners be transported in the prison bus with no less than 2 guards per inmate.

But unusal circumstances had worked in Stone's favor. Stone was to be the only inmate transferred. No other criminals had been sentenced in time to make the trip. It was important to the city officials that he be made an example so they insisted that he be transported without delay. Over the past month, there seemed to be only one guard who had any control over Stone's aggressive behavior. When Stone first arrived at the prison he was quiet and kept to himself. But it seemed the longer he remained in prison and the longer the trial itself was, Stone grew progressively more arrogant and stubborn. The only guard who had any success with restraining or keeping him in line was Joe Glover.

So it was Joe's responsibility to discipline the prisoner according to prison regulations. What officials didn't know was that Joe had succumbed to bribes and was now actually working with Stone.

Stone was lost in his musings and didn't see Joe come up behind him. He let out a grunt as he felt the club jab him in the back. The guard had not used the club in over a week but now, Joe wanted this day to be impressive and he dreamed of his own promotion. He'd pull out all the stops and make it a good show, right down to being abusive and rough.

"C'mon you stupid jerk! Move it quickly now. First stop, ya get the once over by the prison doc!"

It was the first regulation that all prisoners being moved to another prison be examined. All wounds, scars, birth marks, missing teeth and all other medical history was verified and paper work completed so that the new penitentiary would have all current records. It was merely a formality and took only about 15 minutes. Everyone knew that once the inmate reached their new facility, then that prison doctor would do his own cursory examination.

Once that was completed, Stone had about 1/2 an hour to get back to his cell and gather any of his belongings. The only thing Stone had was a new comic book and a Bible. He tossed the Bible on the bed and stuffed the comic book into his duffle bag. He would receive a new prison uniform, shoes, underclothes and bedding at the new prison. He would be taken directly to solitary confinement. He would stay there for 1 week while being processed and he would slowly be let out into the general population.

But Stone knew that none of this would ever happen. In just a few short hours, his life was going to change forever. As if prison hadn't changed his life already, his plan would bring him to the end that he craved. Soon, everyone in the whole city, hell in the whole damn state, would know Stone Crawford. The voice promised that he would live on forever.

Eventually Joe arrived and grabbed the duffle bag from Stone. The inmate was lead to each processing station. Identity was checked, records cataloged and the obligatory strip search carried out. The shower Stone endured wasn't the leasurley, private kind. Stone was forced to use a special antibacterial soap, use a wire brush and a smelly shampoo that left his skin raw and red. His head itched from the product and before he even had his clothes back on, his skin felt raw and inflamed.

Joe had no leverage in getting this procedure waved. This was mandatory due to the fact that no prison wanted any new skin diseases or contagious infections brought into their population.

Finally allowed to dress, Stone was pushed through the halls until they reached the final holding area.

By this time, Stone was chained, handcuffed and even his shoes had been removed in order to make escape that much harder. His hands were cuffed behind his back. His ankles were chained also and another link of chain connected his ankle chains to his hand cuffs and looped around his waist and connected with a lock, all backed with a heavy leather belt like device. At best he was able to take small steps very slowly but would be forced to quicken his pace. This was done more for the prison guard's amusement than for any actual time necessity. Joe complied easily with this bit of tradition. He still thought he was playing his role quite convincingly although it just served to be more fuel to Stone's plan. It was one more reason he couldn't wait to be rid of Joe.

Within an hour, Stone was loaded into the car. He sat in the back seat, the chain looped and connected to the bars that separated the front seat from the back seat. There were no windows in the back seat and the door handles had been removed.

Joe got in the driver's side and set the big car in motion. Once they were a block away from the prison, he turned into a side road and took the back way around all the traffic. Weaving in between the alleys, he finally stopped when he figured they were far enough from the prison but still within the city limits. No words had been exchanged between the two men. Joe concentrated on finding the right place to release Stone and Stone kept hearing the instructions inside his head.

The car stopped and Joe got out to unlock the back door. He reached in and unlocked the chain that shackled Stone to the divider. The bound man moved slowly and heavily out of the back seat and stretched his back once he was able to stand up.

"Okay, now you remember what we gotta do don't ya?" Stone spoke quickly and kept looking behind Joe.

"Yeah, yeah. No big deal. Here I'll unhook you from all this crap. Now, my money's waiting for me at the Brown Hotel under your name right?" Joe set about unlocking and unraveling the locks and chains that had kept his prisoner so docile. At least in Joe's mind, that's what Stone had been. Somewhere along the line, Jo never noticed how the balance of things had changed.

"Would I double cross you? You've helped me this far. Now here, give me your gun. Remember we agreed that you'd need to be found wounded in order to lead everyone to believe that you had nothing to do with this. So get the rest of this stuff off me and we better get moving." Stone kept an eye out for any unwelcome visitors.

"Right, but you gotta make it believable so don't worry about me. Just do it!" Joe closed his eyes, anticipating the pain of being hit over the head. But he never got the chance to open them again. Stone took the gun, backed up a few feet and fired directly into Joe's face. The guard's face exploded into pieces but it took a few more seconds for the body to fall to the ground. Stone fired another shot into the chest and one to the gut for good measure. By this time, Joe only made a few gurgling noises and his body twitched in the last throws of death.

Stone worried at first that the noise would alert nosey onlookers but in this part of town, he realized that gun shots, screams and squealing tires were a pretty common occurance. He kicked the dead body once before he bolted to the driver's side of the car and slid behind the wheel. The keys were still in the ignition so he turned the key and headed out of the alley. Actually he was in his old neighborhood. He'd killed his last victim a few blocks away so he knew where he was and where he was headed.


	5. Chapter 5

**THE EDGE OF DARKNESS**

**CHAPTER 5**

------------------

The end of the trial finally brought the much needed return to normalcy for both detectives. Starsky looked forward to uninterrupted sleep, long, leisurly showers and sitting down with a cup of coffee and the paper in his own living room. Because they had been so involved for so long with the Stone Crawford case, Captain Dobey used some of his authority and managed to get Starsky and Hutch some much needed days off. Even with time to regroup, it was difficult for both detectives to let go of the case they had lived with for so long.

Hutch found it hard to put Stone Crawford completely out of his mind. They knew he was to be transferred to the maximum security prison up the coast but they were not told the exact date. This was done primarily because after such cases, appeals were filed, demands for humane treatment and special conditions were requested which always delayed the final date for transfer. So a delay of a week or more was typical and the police force knew never to expect a quick transfer. Some cases even sparked bets placed as to when the actual date of the move would be.

The men enjoyed their time off and concentrated on much needed sleep and recovery. An uninterrupted sleep does wonders for restoring some ability to function. Twelve hours for Hutch and by the time Starsky called him, the dark haired man had slept 14 hours. Starsky still felt drained and lethargic but knew that he had to get back to a normal routine. He cleaned his neglected home and felt some satisfaction for accomplishing that. A few hours spent washing and waxing his beloved Torino worked out some of the physical frustration he still felt with the end of the Crawford case.

Hutch had much the same reaction after his well deserved sleep. Once he was up, he spent time tending to his numerous plants and apologizing to them for the lack of care they'd received. Concerned with his weight loss and migraines, he worked out a plan for regaining his strength and started with a long, lung expanding jog up the beach and back to Venice Place. Then a protein shake followed by a healthy eating plan. He'd regain his stamina and muscle strength which in turn would take care of the migraines. Although, he knew he'd make an exception once they went to Huggy's. He realized that a few beers would help him in a way that he couldn't deny. It was a way to relax that he desperately needed. He wanted to be able to put Stone Crawford behind him. The blond still couldn't shake the nagging feeling that this man was not out of their lives yet. He was glad he didn't know when Stone was to be moved but in another way, he couldn't wait to hear that this particular evil man would never be free from iron bars and chains again.

The two detectives decided to meet up at Huggy's for an early dinner and relax. They chose late afternoon because while they were ready to unwind and have some fun, they still weren't up for a lot of noise and confusion. It had been months since they were able to spend any off time with their bartending friend, so they looked forward to catching up with the flamboyant Huggy.

As they entered through the kitchen they noticed some of the people already there. A few people sat at the bar. Smoking and nursing a beer before heading home to their families; these were the regular people who straggled in at the end of a shift at the hospital or at the end of their day on the many construction projects. Sitting at tables were business men who just wanted to forget about a business deal that didn't go so well or even drowning their loneliness, with no family or loved one to go home to.

Starsky took the lead and headed for their favorite booth in the back, facing the door. It was hard to break habits and sitting facing an entrance was one borne of necessity and had become just routine postioning. Starsky and Hutch were hardly aware of this habit. The booth had become their favorite and they never gave it a thought when magically, the place always seemed to be waiting for them.

Huggy saw them make their way to the back but was busy refilling beer and taking a meal order. He swiped the counter with his rag and handed it to Diane, a silent request to get her to take over bartending duties. He took a minute to draw up two more beers and carried the frosted mugs to his friends.

Still unaccustomed to the luxury of being off duty, the two men sank into the cushions of the leather seats. Starsky immediately stretched out the full length of the bench seat he occupied. His back to the wall, he put his head back and shut his eyes. He sighed and smiled, enjoying the fact that he didn't have to think or move for the next few hours.

"Hey dudes, to what do I owe this pleasure to?" Huggy greeted the two quiet detectives. The bar owner held a full mug of beer in each hand and set them down in front of his friends. "You both look like hell", Huggy observed when he didn't get a smart remark from either diner.

"Starsky and I just need to relax. This beer is a good way to start Huggy, thanks." Hutch lifted the mug in salute and took a long swallow of the amber liquid.

"What's up with him? Starsky hasn't budged since I set the beer in front of him. His beer radar on the blink?" Huggy sat beside Starsky, pushing the dark haired man's feet out of his way.

At the disruption in his position, Starsky cracked one eye open and only raised a middle finger in response. However, he did sit up and with a sigh, reached out to the beer in front of him. As if parched and desperate, he downed the glass of beer in one long chug before finally speaking.

"Huggy, another one of these please and just keep 'em coming! Friend, you don't know how good it is to just sit here with no responsibilities for the next few hours." Starsky sat up straighter and passed the empty glass to the edge of the table.

Hutch watched in fascination as his friend had downed his beer. Hutch still nursed his and quite enjoyed the cold liquid as it slid down his throat.

"Huggy, we're finally done with Stone Crawford." Hutch shook his head and yawned before he continued. "What a nightmare that bastard turned out to be."

"Yeah, this is the first time you guys have been in here in over a month. The papers didn't have much good news about that dude." Huggy caught one of the waitresses as she passed and motioned for three beers. He gave her a wide smile and blew her a kiss.

Huggy waited until the beers were delivered and since neither man seemed able to communicate, he continued with his previous observation.

"First the papers wanted to hang every cop in the city 'cause none of ya were any good at finding the guy. But no sooner was the trial over and you two were up for cop of the year!"

Starsky grunted and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm just glad it's over. I just wish we coulda caught him sooner. It was a damn shame what he did to those girls. At least the papers spared sharing those details."

Hutch watched his friend as Starsky tried to control a shiver. The blond felt his own spine tingle at the memory of the poor girls who'd been beaten and raped. He'd never understand what made humans do such terrible things to other humans. Even after the girls were dead, Stone had defiled their bodies and mocked the cops by using the dead bodies as his own graffiti canvas. Hutch wondered again why he felt so nauseous at the thought of this man. They had dealt with this kind of sick person many times but Hutch couldn't shake the nagging worry that nobody was safe until Stone Crawford's death sentence was carried out.

"C'mon, Starsk, the purpose of this night is to put all this shit behind us. No more shop talk! Huggy, what's been going on at The Pits since we saw you last!" Hutch punched the skinny black man in the arm, wanting to lighten the mood that had somehow turned so dark.

"Yeah, Huggy, who's this girl you keep winking at? A new waitress or is she more than that?" Starsky teased their friend. He dug in the basket of peanuts on the table and threw one at Huggy. The conversation took on a more relaxed, friendly banter, all worry about Stone Crawford put behind them.

It was now the time of day that was in between the lunch crowd but before the busy night crowd. When the two friends first enterered the bar, it had been filled with people seeking a quiet release from their hectic day and a few hookers looking for business of their own. Most of those people had left and the bar took on an eerie quiet. Huggy never liked this time of day. It made him worry that business wouldn't pick up again but usually after 8 pm, a different crowd filled the stools and booths.

So Starsky and Hutch got the quiet diversion that they both needed. Neither one paid much attention to the thinning populace, they just kept drinking and laughing with each other. From time to time, Huggy checked on the room to be sure that those few people left in the bar were taken care of and that the waitresses kept the place clean.

On one of those occasions that Huggy vacated the booth, Hutch looked around as if noticing the empty place beside Starsky for the first time. His beer glass was empty but he'd lost interest in drinking awhile ago. The beer did what he'd wanted. It left him numb to the concerns and worries of his job and a man named Stone Crawford. It also erased the harsh reality and allowed him put it all behind him. If only for a little while,he could actually believe that he was as carefree as Starsky.

He'd always admired that about the dark haired man. Perhaps it was the beer that suddenly made him introspective but now he really thought about his best friend's ability to turn off the ugliness of the world and reach out and hug the exact world that also offered joy and hope. Starsky was the one who always saw the bright side of things. Despite losing Terry, despite the ugly things he'd seen and experienced ,Starsky was always able to see that silver lining no matter how thin it was.

He looked over at the curly haired man sitting across from him and couldn't help breaking out in a big grin of his own. Starsky smiled at him. Actually, Hutch found that it felt good to smile. Like exercising his face. He reached over and held onto Starsky's hand. They locked a glance at each other and both smiled again.

"Okay, blondie, maybe we've both reached our limit for the night? Now it's getting pretty soapy around here!" Starsky pushed his half full beer mug away from him and tried to supress a burp.

"You've got so much class Starsk! Hey where'd Huggy get to? He's been gone awhile." Hutch turned in his seat, trying for a better view of the bar.

"I'll bet he went out to feed that damn stray dog he found a few months ago."

Hutch reached for the last peanut in the basket and flipped it into his mouth. Starsky took a small sip of the beer then continued explaining about the dog.

"This dog shows up occasionally and Huggy keeps feedin' it. I don't know where you were the last time I was here but the dog seems to trust him. I couldn't get near the thing. In fact when I came near Huggy to get a better look at it, the damn thing growled at me and ran off." Starsky smiled at the memory of how Huggy had been so pissed when the dog darted away that he'd thrown a wilted up piece of lettuce at Starsky in retaliation.

A few minutes went by in easy silence and without the return of Huggy. The bar continued to move rather slowly. Only one person at the bar and he reached into his pocket and pulled out some bills. He slapped them on the surface and spoke to the waitress and waved good bye.

Now only two other tables held customers. One of those, obviously a hooker trying to talk her table mate into joining her at the motel down the street. The man was well into his 60's with heavy stubble over his pudgy face. His beard was gray but his thinning hair on his head was more brown than gray. He stood up, unsteady on his feet. He tried to button his vest but wasn't successful. Either because he had lost his coordination or more likely, the buttons didn't reach across the belly bulge. He swayed until the girl rose up and took the man's arm in her hand. She guided him towards the exit and his shaky, high pitched laughter followed them out the door. Now the bar was very quiet. The juke box finished the last chords of a song but nobody fed any more money into it. It stood unused and now only whispers and occasional noises from the kitchen puncuated the bar.

Starsky gazed around the room and moved to the end of the bench seat. He stood up and raised his arms above his head as he stretched and then grimaced.

"Be back, I'm goin' to the john then I'll go see where Huggy is. Go put money in the juke box and get this joint jumpin' again!" Starsky scratched his shoulder as he moved off toward the restrooms.

Hutch sat for a minute, just enjoying the quiet. But for some reason, that wasn't satisfying. He felt nervous again so he got up and headed toward the juke box. He shoved his hand into his pants pocket and jingled the change. He pulled his hand out to dig between the pieces of tissue and his keys until he found the right amount of money for the music. He jangled the change again in his hand before slipping it back into his pocket. He studied the selections but turned his head once he heard the back door slam. He smiled at the thought of Huggy feeding a scrawny dog. The comparrison brought an easy laugh deep from his belly as he thought of his skinny black friend with a skinny, homeless animal.

---------------

While the two friends had been inside the bar drinking and putting the past behind them, Huggy made a pass through the kitchen to be sure that everything was clean and orders filled. He spoke briefly to the guy washing the dishes. The man was new and Huggy just wanted to make sure he felt needed. He tended to hire down on their luck street people who needed a job and Huggy sometimes loaned them the room upstairs until they got on their feet. Josh had been here a week and so far was reliable and efficient.

The tall bar owner grabbed the garbage. He started out the door but instead, set the garbage outside the kitchen door and went back inside to load up a bowl of scaps in case the dog he'd been feeding showed up. The dog seemed to like the hamburgers and fries so instead of throwing these morsels away, Huggy planned to feed the animal with some of it's favorites.

Huggy picked up the lid to the garbage can and threw the bag inside. He put the lid on and set the bowl of food on top. He reached into his shirt pocket for a cigarette, lit it and blew the match out before he threw it to the side. He inhaled deeply and let the smoke exit through his nose. He leaned back against the wall, just enjoying some time alone. A noise by the dumpster caused him to push away from the wall and reach for the bowl on top of the garbage can. He whistled softly and tentatively walked toward the blue receptacle.

It wasn't quite dark out and the only noise in the alley came from behind the dumpster. Scratching and yelping noises convinced Huggy that his four footed friend was close by, looking for food. He hunched down near the noise and whistled again and encouraged the dog to come out of hiding.

"C'mon Special, I got your favorite here for you!" The scratching stopped and the dog started to whine but didn't come out immediately.

"Hey, it's me! What, you don't like the name "Special"? C'mon boy, you must be hungry!" He snapped his fingers and whistled again. He called more softly, not wanting to scare the dog with any sudden loud noise.

After another minute the dog appeared around the corner of the dumpster. It was hard to tell the real color of the dog but now he was a very dirty dark brown. At some point the dog must have had a shiny coat and light brown in color. A life on the run caused the animal to become skinny with it's ribs sticking out. But the dog's eyes looked brighter than a month ago. That was the first time it had dared to show itself. It stood, not moving and just stared at Huggy for the longest time. At first he'd been scared because he knew that there were some stray dogs around and most of them helped themselves to the garbage and just left a mess in their wake. But this fellow was smaller and did not belong to any pack. He showed up a month ago and Huggy fed him when he could.

The dog sniffed the ground and darted toward the food in front of him. He sniffed around the bowl and looked up at his new friend. Huggy didn't try to pet him. The tall man didn't see any tag or I.D. of any kind around the scrawny neck so he just stood back on his heels as the dog continued to sniff the contents of the bowl. His hunger finally got the better of him and the dog shoved his face into the food and lapped up the fries first.

Suddenly the dog stopped and cocked it's head. He bared his teeth but didn't make any noise. He backed up and sniffed the air.

Huggy fell back on his butt, not trusting the look on the dog's face. He scooted back slowly until the dog growled. Huggy stopped.

"Okay now, easy does it. You don't like the fries? No problem." Huggy spoke, keeping his voice soft and level. He tried not to show he was scared.

He backed up again and slowly stood up. But the dog came toward him just as slowly and growled again, baring his teeth. The animal backed up, barking furiously. Between barks, the growls got longer and deeper in his chest.

Huggy took a couple steps back as the dog began to slobber through the growls.

As the dog continued to grow more agitated, Huggy felt a heavy object connect with his back and he was down instantly. He laid there thinking the dog was going to attack but instead, he felt a hard kick to his gut. The ground swirled around him and the barking grew as if echoing through his brain. Noise like a freight train split his head in two. The last thing he was aware of was pain in his belly. He knew he'd just been kicked but the only thing he could do was curl into himself. He tried to lift his head, thinking the dog had attacked and bit him. When he raised his head, he couldn't really focus on anything. All of the sudden his vision cleared as he blinked. Someone stood over him with a gun and a tire jack. How he identified these he couldn't recall even later. He opened his mouth but tasted only fear. He tried to call out, wanting rescue. But the gurgled plea died on his lips as another kick, this time to his back, connected and finally blackness descended like a steel curtain.

Stone Crawford stood over the man on the ground. He kicked the body again just as the dog growled a deeper, angrier warning. Stone briefly thought of shooting the dog but didn't want to announce his presence just yet. The dog kept watch over the man on the ground but snarled and growled at the human standing in front of him. Stone shifted the tire jack to his other hand, heaved it in the direction of the dumpster and shouted a warning to the dog.

"Get the fuck out of here you filthy animal!" Just as the heavy weapon clattered to the ground, the dog turned around and darted away from the scene behind him. Stone kicked at the body once more before turning his attention to the door which Huggy had come out of.


	6. Chapter 6

**THE EDGE OF DARKNESS**

**CHAPTER 6**

------------------

Starsky waved to his partner as he came back out of the john and headed toward the kitchen. Once there, he stopped to chat with the cook. Eddie made a great burger and Starsky was hungry. The two men chatted for a few minutes until one of the waitresses stopped beside Starsky to put in a new order.

"Hey there good lookin'!" Betty did an impromptu bump with her hip. Starsky smiled and put his arm around her as he copied the action.

"Right back at ya babe! Where've you been all night?"

Starsky squeezed her butt as he placed a quick kiss on her cheek. He released her but kept talking. The dark haired man flirted and teased with her as he walked with his back toward the outside door.

Starsky heard the squeak as the door opened.

"Exuse me Betty but save those luscious lips for later!"

He didn't turn around, opting to wink at Betty instead. Once the door swung shut, Starsky spoke again, expecting Huggy to be standing inside the door when he turned around. The smoky, half lided eyes the girl flashed at Starsky, changed to round, large black saucers.

"What's so scary about..."

His tease was cut off as a firm hand clamped around his mouth. He felt the butt of a gun in his side so any thoughts of struggling died away. The smell of food cooking mixed with a different smell as Starsky tried to twist away from the hand over his mouth.

"Just cool it cop. If you just relax, all these people can go. Nod your head if you understand."

Starsky's head was held fast against the man behind him. He recognized the voice as Stone Crawford. He nodded slowly. He briefly thought about fighting back, but there were too many innocent people. Starsky played it safe and did as he was told. With his eyes, he pleaded silently with those people around him to do what the man wanted. He tried kicking backward but Stone tightened his hold around Starsky's mouth and pushed the gun harder against the restrained man's back.

Stone lowered his voice, remained calm and smiled as he spoke.

"Just get out of here. Your friend outside probably could use some help. Just get the hell out of here... MOVE!"

Before she could get past Stone, the man blocked Betty's escape.

"Do me a favor darlin'. Reach in his shirt and grab the gun. Nice and slow honey." Betty looked to Starsky for help. He winked at her to try and reassure her that it would be okay. The woman's hand shook as she grabbed the gun.

"Fine. Now, set it down on the counter here, then get out!" Stone watched as Betty did what she was told. She looked again at Starsky. She opened her mouth to say something but the hard look in Stone's eyes made her change her mind. Silently, she ran out the door.

Stone lowered his mouth against Starsky's ear. The dark haired man smelled body odor and adrenaline in the man holding the gun up against him.

In a low voice, Stone spoke. "Now, move forward. One wise assed attempt at being a hero and I'll bite your ear off!" Stone forced Starsky out in front of him and they moved into the bar area. Besides Hutch, two other tables were occupied. Hutch stood up and moved toward the two men.

"Stop right there, pretty boy!" Keeping his eyes on Hutch, Stone spoke directly to the other people in the room.

"Everyone of ya, get out!" Crawford inclined his head to the man as they tried to escape. "You, go check to see if anybody's in either john. GO!" He shouted, all the while keeping the gun stuck in Starsky's ribs and his hand over the cop's mouth. Hutch kept his blue eyes steady on Starsky's sapphire ones.

When the man came back out of the ladies room alone, Stone ordered the man to pull Hutch's gun out of his jacket and bring it back to him. Once that gun was beside Stone, he bellowed another harsh warning for them all to get out. Soon, it was just the three of them.

"Hutchinson, go lock all the doors. Don't do one thing to make me shoot your friend."

"Look Stone, you don't have to do this. If you give up right now, what's the worst that can happen? You're already on death row. But give it up now, cooperate, maybe we can get that sentence reduced. Maybe to life in prison." Hutch spoke directly to Stone but kept his eyes riveted on his friend. He moved slowly toward his partner but stopped as Crawford forced Starsky in between himself and Hutchinson.

Hutch raised his hands with the promise of staying where he was. Starsky tried to bite at Stone's hand but the gunman just shoved the gun further into his captive's side.

Starsky moaned and shut his eyes against the pain and the meaning of the action. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He felt his heart pounding in his chest. Stone didn't look that strong, but surprise and the fear of hurting Hutch kept him quiet again. Stone had the upper hand. Starsky couldn't risk Hutch's life with a wrong move.

Hutch watched, the gun tight up against the dark haired man's back. The blond watched the frown deepen on Stone's face. Something was going through the convicts mind, some sort of decision. The detective doubted that the conclusion would be in their favor.

Stone remembered that he'd left Starsky's gun back in the kitchen. It wouldn't do for Hutch to have a weapon, at least not yet. But Stone had plans that were forming all the time and now he realized he needed to switch gears in order to keep these men at his mercy.

"Wait cop, you both need to be occupied for a few minutes. I'll go lock the doors while you entertain each other!"

Stone released his hand over Starsky's mouth and instead, grabbed at the dark, curly head of hair. He forced Starsky's head back as he pushed him away. Hutch was confused by the sudden movement and before he had a chance to even react, the gun in Stone's hand went off and Starsky fell in a heap to the floor.

"Starsky!" Hutch cried out and moved toward his friend on the ground. He watched as the beige shirt turned a darker color. He knelt in front of Starsky, not wanting to touch him, but afraid not to. Again he looked up at the crazed convict as the blond spat out angry words.

"There was no reason to do that! You crazy bastard!"

Hutch bent lower over the silent body, touching the face, checking for a pulse.

Stone laughed. Satisfied that neither man was going to fight back, Stone picked up the gun on the table and moved back to the kitchen to retrieve Starsky's gun. He glanced outside and didn't see the black man he'd left on the ground or any of the people from inside the restaurant. Satisfied that his plan was working, he bolted the lock on the door. He went back out to the front of the bar and locked and bolted that door as well. He came back to the bar area and stood, watching as Hutch struggled wtih Starsky.

Satisfied that both men were indeed occupied, Stone went behind the bar,checked underneath and came up with a bat that Huggy kept in case of trouble. Stone felt it's weight and satisfied with it, chose a seat at the bar and swiveled the stool to the center of the room.

He watched as Hutch wrestled with Starsky's jacket. He heard small groans from the bleeding man. The blond grabbed nearby towels and applied pressure to a wound at Starsky's side.

"We could have made some sort of comprimise. You didn't have to shoot him. He didn't even have a gun!" Hutch worked frantically, trying to stop the bleeding. Hutch spoke but never stopped his ministrations to his friend. Stone didn't answer. He just sat and watched and waited.

Hutch looked up to see Stone calmly sitting there. He didn't understand any of this. But he finally decided to just concentrate on Starsky. It wouldn't do either one of them any good to try to reason with this man.

"Starsky, I'm right here" Hutch cradled the pale face in his hands. The normal olive toned skin was already pallid, sweaty. Small puffs of air escaped Starsky's lips but his eyes remained closed. His pulse was there, but Hutch had a hard time finding it.

Hutch raised his head and glared at Stone. The man casually sat on the bar stool, as if he were waiting to play a game of pool.

"What was the purpose in shooting him? Neither one of us had a gun, you made sure of that. What's to be gained?" Hutch rubbed Starsky's stomach, as much for his own comfort as for his still unconscious partner.

"All will be revealed in good time. Now just tend to your business and shut the hell up!" Stone rubbed his temple as he thought about what was to come. His ears hurt with the pounding of the voice in his brain. He felt confused briefly, unsure of his next step. But he realized that anything now was just gravy--- He would win in the end.

Starsky began to stir, making small gagging noises. Hutch turned him on his side, anticipating trouble breathing or retching. Noisy breathing and loud intake of breath followed which frightened the blond man. Keeping Starsky on his side, Hutch rubbed the sweaty back and spoke close to the dark haired man's ear.

"Starsky, try not to move. Can you talk?" Hutch brushed his hand over the furrowed forehead, noting how sweaty the dark hair felt.

"Mmmm... Hutchhhh... what..." Starsky tried to speak but the words ended up drowning in a whimper. He tried to catch his breath but a spasm of pain took over.

Starsky moaned as he reached out, searching for Hutch. The blond squeezed the trembling hand that seeked comfort. He wanted to promise Starsky that he'd be okay, but he didn't have that kind of courage.

"What happened?" Starsky tried speaking again but felt the sting of vomit rise in his throat. He gulped for air and squeezed Hutch's hand harder.

Starsky continued speaking in between the twitches of pain that cut through his chest. His voice was low and Hutch bent closer to catch what his friend tried to say.

"It hurts! I think I'm gonna be sick. I..." Starsky began to choke on the contents his stomach insisted on expelling. Hutch turned him more to the side as Starsky twitched and bucked against it all.

Once the paroxysm of pain settled , Starsky began mumbling Hutch's name. He begged for release. He needed the pain and nausea to stop. He couldn't think past the ring of fire that over took him.

Hutch continued to soothe his friend the best he could. The bleeding slowed down but Hutch wasn't sure if this was good or bad. He needed to turn Starsky again so he could look closer at the wound.

Starsky continued mumbling. He was coherent enough to want a report of his condition but he was still worried about Huggy.

"Hutch, where's Huggy? I've gotta go find him!" The dark haired man reached for Hutch in confusion. His attempt to sit up only resulted in more pain. Hutch gently guided his agitated friend back to the floor. The blond desperately tried to think of some way to get them out of this situation. He kept a comforting hand on Starsky but he let himself observe the man who had both detectives at a terrible disadvantage.

Stone was a tall, rail thin man. His black hair was stringy, sparse. It trailed well past his shoulders. His eyes were green with flecks of yellow. He didn't look dangerous physically but mentally, there was no question that this man meant to harm and even kill without provocation. He'd shown that he had no conscience in the way he had killed before, which terrified Hutch. Crawford seemed like such a quiet type, never showing violence until recently. The burgleries and drug posessions were only a prelude to the present situation.

Stone sat at the bar, his palm pressing against his forehead. He shook his head once and twisted his head side to side. He looked around as if wanting to make sure that Starsky and Hutch were still on the floor.

Hutch tried to be calm. He watched Stone for any signs that the man could be reasoned with. Hutch wanted to find a way to end all of this without more violence. The blond felt the hair on the back of his neck stiffen as the reality of the situation and the possible outcome caught up to him.

Stone sat at the far end of the bar with the baseball bat he'd found earlier, cradled in his arms. He sat, staring into space. He didn't really seem to be concerned with what Starsky or Hutch were doing or what they were talking about. He just sat and smiled to himself.

Hutch turned back to Starsky and continued trying to keep him safe. That was his main concern. Hutch was afraid that if the dark haired man moved too much, the bullet would shift and cause more damage.

Hutch wanted Stone to talk. He wanted to know what the bastard was planning next.

Hutch cleared his throat as he rested his hand on Starsky's shoulder. The dark haired man was quiet even though his body shook with pain.

"So what the hell is this all about? You realize that those people you let go will go straight to the police? You aren't gonna gain anything once reinforcements show up." Hutch kept his voice level. He tried to hide his hatred for the man but his voice rose in pitch as he finished the sentence.

"No matter. Besides, I want cops, negotiators. Hell, even the FBI would be a blast! Everybody's welcome to my party!"

The convict lifted the bat off the bar and weighed it in both hands. He looked again at the two men on the floor.

Starsky groaned with agitation. "Hutch,it hurts like hell! Hutch...!"

"Easy, buddy. Listen, you gotta stay quiet. I think Huggy and the other people in the bar got away. That's the one decent thing this freak did, was to let everyone out. I guess we're the only ones he's interested in." Hutch kept his voice low. He watched Stone for a minute before turning his attention back to Starsky.

Starsky continued to moan. His eyes closed tight against the pain in his side. Hutch tried to offer comfort but he was unsure about what else to do. He got up to reach for a bar towel and just ignored the man at the end of the bar. Hutch tried to be positive and trust that Captain Dobey and the police force would find a way to end all of this safely. But right now it was hard to imagine anything but bloodshed.

Coming back to Starsky, Hutch realized that his partner had been speaking, unaware that his blond friend had left him. The dark haired man seemed to drift in and out of consciousness and at times was disoriented.

"I'm here buddy. Just don't move, you've gotta stay quiet." Once he'd snagged the towel, Hutch wrung it out in cool water and now he wiped Starsky's face with it. He wondered if his friend would be able to drink from a glass. Maybe a sip of water would help. But before he had a chance to get up again, he leaned closer to hear what Starsky was saying.

"...always trouble." Starsky drifted off again but Hutch wanted the man to stay focused so he tried getting his partner to repeat what he'd missed.

"What's that? You in trouble?.. Hey c'mon, stick with me, talk to me!"

"Hutch? Maybe I..." Another round of shivers consumed Starsky and he closed his mouth. But ever the fighter, the wounded man battled back the sensations in order to find something to straighten out the worry lines he saw in Hutch's face.

"I said, I always... seem to get in trouble..." Again the pain attacked and Starsky sucked in his breath. "Should give up goin' to public restrooms"

With that last attempt at humor, he couldn't continue ignoring the pain. His face broke out in heavy sweating. Hutch gently swiped the moist towel over the curly head. No more words came out of the slack mouth, the eyes remained closed and the breathing came slower. Hutch searched for the pulse and was relieved to find it. But he couldn't be sure how much longer his friend could battle the pain or how much longer Stone would ignore the two of them.

"Hutch? You here?" Starsky's voice sounded funny to him and his throat hurt. He lifted his arm, seeking an answer. It surprised him when his arm flopped back down to the floor. It landed with a soft thud and immediately sent a sharp pain up the right side of his body. He couldn't stop the cry of pain but was rewarded with a warm hand on his limp, cold one.

"I'm right here pal. Take it easy." Hutch leaned into his friend. He tried to keep him positioned on his side but Starsky had rolled over on his back. The wound was not large but it looked deep and painful. The sudden change in position started another round of shuddering and shallow breathing for his injured partner.

"Hutch, god it hurts. You okay?" Hutch smiled and patted Starsky on the head. No matter Starsky's condition, he always wanted to make sure Hutch was okay. He was always watching his partner's back.

"Yeah for now Gordo. But I think our best bet is to wait for reinforcements. I can't risk your safety. I don't want to risk getting Stone agitated."

The twitching continued even though Starsky tried to ignore it. The pain was sharp, like a knife in his back. He couldn't really tell where it started from but he needed to keep awake and aware.

"Hutch, I got shot, right? Is Huggy okay?" The last image he recalled was seeing his friend head out the door to feed a dog. Starsky tried to sit up but between the pain and Hutch's hand on his chest, he flopped back to the floor. He tried to push Hutch away so he could go help Huggy. The warm hand on his chest comforted him but he still had to know. The burning that clutched at his back receded into a throbbing ache. He had somehow found a position that didn't cause more pain.

"Starsky, I'm sorry about this. I can't risk any more harm to you by trying to subdue Stone. I just don't trust him."

'It's okay blondie, not your fault." Starsky stopped, concentrating for the moment on breathing. His chest felt heavy which scared him. He was sure Hutch would pick up on any sort of change in his condition, but maybe his partner would be too occupied with a plan to take notice of this new development.

Hutch cocked his head toward Starsky, listening to the sounds his friend made. The grunts of pain and fear at times slowed but now he was sure he heard labored breathing. Instead of talking, Hutch just continued to sit with Starsky. The blond occasionally offered sips of water to the injured man. The moisture felt good on his dry lips but the dark haired man couldn't manage to take in much of the water. The cold liquid felt good in his throat but once it hit his stomach, nausea returned.


	7. Chapter 7

**THE EDGE OF DARKNESS**

**CHAPTER 7**

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The customers, the cook, dishwasher and waitresses all crowded around Huggy's still body. They were all scared. But they needed to get some sort of plan and first up was to make sure Huggy was okay. They all felt lucky to still be alive. The encounter with the mad man reinforced everyone's belief in a guardian angel.

Eddie knelt down beside his boss.

"Hey Huggy, man, you okay?" Eddie was a rotund, normally happy man and had been the cook at The Pits for a year. From somewhere behind him a towel magically appeared in his hands and he wrapped it around Huggy's neck.

Huggy groaned and tried to pull away from the touch. He opened his eyes but shut them again when the ground below him tilted and the forms in front of him changed shapes.

"Starsky... Hutch...!" Huggy managed to form a few words. He wanted to go get help but he was stuck. He couldn't move his arms or legs. He felt like an elephant had landed on him.

Again, Huggy made an effort to speak and move at the same time, not a good combination in his present state. He tried to raise his head but the ground rose up to meet him again as he tried one more time to make a request.

"Bay... City... P.D!" Huggy groaned and shut his eyes.

One of the customers, Rob Nicely took action. He told them they needed to get out of there quickly. He suggested getting Huggy to a car and going directly to the police station. He figured that's what Huggy must've been trying to say.

"Those two names, are they cops at the precinct or ya think they're the unlucky ones in there?" Rob pointed his head in the direction of the bar as he lit another cigarette, more out of nervousness than enjoyment.

Betty recalled her playful moment with Starsky. She sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes as she spoke.

"Yeah, they're the one's in there. Regular customers. We gotta go for help!" Eddie wrapped his beefy arms around her as she broke down in tears again.

This time the group moved as one. They pulled Huggy to his feet and moved off toward their cars. They were all too scared to do anything but form a convoy as they went directly to the police station like Huggy suggested.

Just like a swarm of refugees, they crowded around the intake desk at the precinct, begging to speak to Captain Dobey. They all spoke at once, giving their version of the nightmare to the confused but meticulous night desk cop. They all pointed to Huggy who at that moment huddled on a wooden bench, holding a towel over the back of his neck. He tried to follow the conversations around him, but the pain in his head and gut burned and he doubled over, almost landing head first on the floor.

The cop on duty tried to reach Captain Dobey on the phone but had trouble making himself heard over the noise and confusion. He pulled the phone away from his ear when Dobey kept yelling for him to speak up. The captain grew frustrated and decided to investigate the ruckus for himself.

Long before anyone saw him, Captain Dobey's big voice preceeded him.

"Whithers, can't you control this area better? What are all these people..." The captain stopped ranting when he noticed Huggy's lanky frame folded up on the bench. His radar kicked in. Starsky and Hutch. If Huggy's here, where are his two detectives?

"Go get the medics**,NOW!" **Captain Dobey started barking out orders. He directed that everyone be sent to an interregation room big enough to accomadate the milling, terrified witnesses. He'd sort out the details later but he just knew that this scene had something to do with the emergency report he'd received not long ago about Stone Crawford. Again, his heart jumped at the thought of Starsky and Hutch at the mercy of the escaped convict. He rubbed his head as he thought about disappointing Edith-- again. There was no way in hell he'd make it for dinner tonight. Through the years, she had remained supportive and just took all the delays and cancellations in stride. He was grateful for her understanding and loving nature.

Now back in Dobey's office, Huggy still refused to go to the hospital until he knew the fate of his two friends.

Huggy didn't remember being dragged and pushed into a car. However,he did remember that the stray dog he'd been feeding had bared it's teeth at him. He rubbed the back of his head again and accepted the cup of water and two aspirin that Captain Dobey handed him.

"Tell me again Captain, what's goin' on?" Huggy winced as the cold water and aspirin hit the inside of his stomach. The dizziness came back and he shut his eyes against the spinning room. He groaned and leaned forward, his long arms resting on his knees.

"Huggy, did ya get a look at who did this? Here, look at this picture and tell me if he's the one you remember." Captain Dobey pushed himself away from the desk as he reached for the mug shot of Stone Crawford. Prison officials confirmed that Joe Glover had been assigned to transport Stone to the maximum security prison but did not arrive with his prisoner. They found the dead, shattered body of the prison guard in an alley not far from Huggy's. The convict was now believed to be armed and dangerous.

Huggy grabbed the picture and stared at it. He waited till his vision cleared. He shook his head to wipe away the black dots that continued floating past his eyes.

"Man, he's one ugly dude! No wonder Special snarled at him. That's him captain. He whacked me up side my head but I got a look at him." Huggy handed the picture back and pulled the towel back over his neck. The once white towel was stained with fresh blood. He looked up at the captain but shook his head at the unspoken demand he knew would be next out of the big black man's mouth.

"Huggy, you probably have a concussion. Maybe broken ribs. You've got to have..." Captain Dobey got no further in his observation when the bar owner interrupted him.

"Captain, with all due respect... If that freak let us all go, then that means.. shit, what about Starsky and Hutch?" Huggy tried to stand up but fell back into the chair, weak and dizzy. "Captain, I ain't goin' nowhere till I know my boys are alright, you dig?"

"Huggy, yeah -'I dig'-. But I'm already on this. We've got cars surrounding your place now, watching. But we've got to be careful here. Trust me, we'll do all we can. I'm worried too, ya know?" Captain Dobey paced the office and stopped in front of Huggy. He looked into the dark brown eyes and his own unspoken fear stared back at him.

Captain Dobey made a frustrated sound and went back to sit behind his desk. He decided to change gears for a minute. He needed time to think and time to plan.

"What's this about a dog?" The captain leaned forward, staring at Huggy while he played with his pencil.

"Yeah, a stray dog's been hanging around my place. He seems to like the Huggy specials I feed him. I can't get real close to him yet, but I remember he growled and snarled at me just before my lights went out. Maybe the mutt saved my life."

Huggy let out a long sigh and rubbed at his chest. He still felt dizzy but at least the room wasn't spinning. He tried standing again and this time was successful. He walked to the door and leaned against it as he continued to watch the big police captain watching him. Huggy saw something in the other's eyes that scared him.

"Captain, what ain't you tellin' me? You know more than you let on." Not wanting to push his present stability, Huggy folded himself into the leather chair in the captain's office. It was soft and felt good against all his aches and pains.

"The other's from your bar said they heard gunshots. They weren't sure how many but at least two." The captain watched as Huggy pushed himself forward in the chair. The lanky bar owner visibly swallowed and groaned.

"Huggy, also I don't have to tell you what that guy was convicted of. But we also found the guard who was transporting Stone Crawford to the maximum security prison. Ummm... he was shot... in the face with his own gun. He was dead when the police found him. They weren't far from your bar. Huggy, this was planned against Starsky and Hutch. I can't lie to you. We have a team on this right now. In fact, I'm just waiting till I get the word that they have a phone line ready and I'm gonna try to talk to him before we move in."

The room got quiet as both men thought of their friends. Huggy remembered other times the duo had been in trouble. A year or so ago, he had been in this same room with Hutch and the captain, trying to figure out where Starsky was being held. That time it took all three of them to put the pieces of the Simon Marcus puzzle together. His friends had always been lucky before and came out the other side of the conflict battered and bruised but ultimately, they survived. What about this time? What did the gun fire mean? Couldn't be Stone was dead or this whole thing would have been over long ago. It only meant trouble.

Captain Dobey just sat and prayed. He was pretty sure that a man like Stone Crawford wasn't concerned about his future and had no problem with violence. Violence against two detectives who he most likely thought responsible for his downfall. Perhaps the man had already killed one of the detectives? Dobey shook his head, trying to wipe away the negative, ugly picture that ran through his head. He had to be positive and have faith that it would all work out.

He pushed himself up again out of his chair as he reached for the phone. It was time for answers and he knew where to start. The crime team should be set with the phone hook up. He stabbed out the number of the extension, waited for a voice on the other end and spoke in short sentences, barked out a few reminders and slammed the phone down.

"Damn it! I don't understand the delay. Maybe I should..." The phone rang and stopped any other words the captain may have been about to say.

Captain Dobey listened for a minute, spoke quickly and gave his approval. He put his hand over the mouthpiece and told Huggy what was about to happen.

"You keep your mouth shut now you hear? I'm being connected to your bar and I'm gonna talk to Stone Crawford. You say one word and I'll have you thrown out of here and arrested for obstructing justice." The captain held up his hand to stop Huggy's response when he heard the other end of the line begin to ring.

On the other end of the line, the phone rang loud and shrill in the empty bar. Hutch looked over at Stone. Hutch wanted to keep Starsky calm but the jangling noise made the dark haired man twitch.

In the captain's office two men held their breath as the conversation with the dangerous Stone Crawford unfolded.

Huggy listened carefully to Captain Dobey's side of the conversation.

"This is Captain Harold Dobey of Metropolitan Police Division. Give yourself up now and no further action will be taken against you." The large man listened intently, gripping the phone in his hand.

"Yes I understand but let me speak to one of my men. We know you're holding Detective Hutchinson and Detective Starsky there. I want to know they are both alright." Dobey sat forward squinting as if he was trying to concentrate on something more than just the words coming through the line.

Stone hesitated, listening to the fear in the Captain's voice. In the few seconds it took for the stringy haired convict to hand over the phone to Hutch, Captain Dobey and Huggy exchanged worried glances. They both held their breath until they heard Hutch's voice.

After Stone handed the phone to Hutch, the gunman moved away to take up a position beside Starsky. The connection crackled as the blond's shaky hand accepted the life line and held it tight against his ear.

Stone watched as he stood over Starsky. The confirming voice in his head was proof that everything would work out. But now, Stone had to pay attention to what was going on in front of him.

Starsky felt panic rise in his chest as he lost sight of his partner. The dark haired man on the floor tried to wiggle into a safer position but the movement sent shivers and spasms through his body. Realizing that to move meant pain, he settled on concentrating on Hutch's voice. He tried to ignore the man standing above him.

Back in Dobey's office, the Captain reached out to his detectives the only way available to him. He tried to keep his voice level. But, he couldn't keep the uncertainty out of his words.

"Hutch? You boys alright? Where's Starsky?" Dobey pushed the speaker button on the phone so that Huggy could hear this part of the conversation. Harold felt he needed another ear. There was something going on in the bar but he hadn't been able to identify the background noise. He wasn't sure there'd be time to question Hutch before Stone took over the phone again. It was weird how easily he'd given up control in the first place. Dobey wondered what kind of sick game his two detectives were up against.

Huggy sat forward, ignoring the pains and nausea that threatened to overtake him again. He needed to know what was going on. He took a deep breath as Hutch began to speak.

_" Yeah Cap. I'm okay. Ummm... Starsky's hurt but he'll make it."_

Hutch hesitated before going on. He wasn't sure how much he could say before Stone got angry.

The Captain wanted Hutch to talk as long as possible. Dobey held onto hope as long as he could hear the blond's voice.

"You think Stone would let a medic in there to help? Maybe one of the men could come in and overtake the guy?" The captain thought fast, coming up with anything that might give them an edge.

"_Not a good idea Captain. He shot Starsky for no reason."_ The vulnerable and spent inflection was plain in Hutch's voice. Both Huggy and Dobey concentrated. Huggy was sure he heard something like crying.

_" Stone wants to be the one to waste Starsky and me. He's crazy Cap! I'm convinced of that" _Hutch finished his sentence but as his voice trailed off the bar owner and police captain heard something else on the other end of the phone.

It was an audible hit to a solid object. A sharp intake of breath followed by a cry of pain. The noise was loud. There was cracking sound and static but the connection remained.


	8. Chapter 8

**THE EDGE OF DARKNESS**

**CHAPTER 8**

"Hutch, Hutch! You okay? What happened?" Dobey flicked off the speaker part of the phone and grabbed the receiver tighter in his hand. He stood up just as Huggy did. Dobey put his hand out to stop Huggy's approach.

The Captain struggled to make sense of the confusion and chaos on the other end of the line. He strained to make out the different voices. He heard cries of pain. He identified Hutch's agonized voice and tried to follow the gut wrenching sounds he heard in the bar. As if he was meant to witness this terrible tragedy unfolding over the phone line, the captain strained to hear every terrible scream of torture and distress. His inability to stop both the sounds and the unseen action kept him glued to the phone. In some way he hoped that the connection over the phone line would enable him to keep the two detectives alive. The events that happened in the bar next would stay with Harold Dobey and invade his nightmares for a long time. Helpless, the captain sagged against the desk, unable to do anything but listen.

"Starsky!" Hutch stopped in his tracks when he saw Stone holding the bat against Starsky's body. The bat hovered over the area where on the other side of his body, the bullet lodged deep inside.

"I'm sure it would hurt like hell if I hit him right... there!" Without warning Stone lifted the bat and brought it down with all his strength to connect with the stained area of Starsky's side. The dark haired man screamed in agony as the bat pushed deep into the hole made by the bullet.

Stone took advantage of Hutch's mistake. The blond wasn't hovering over his friend and the convict decided that attention needed to be focused back on himself. He was not happy that things were getting out of his control. He grabbed the baseball bat tighter. In one quick move, he brought the bat down again, this time directly on Starsky's leg. It dropped with a sickening crack followed by a surprised outburst of fear and pain from the man on the floor. Starsky tried to move away from the source but the bat found it's target again.

Hutch dropped the phone once he heard his partner's screams and dove toward Stone.

Dobey continued his helpless vigil over the phone. Hutch's pleas sounded loud in the Captain's ears.

"You sick bastard! Get away from him!" Hutch dropped to Starsky's side as the man writhed in severe pain. Blood began seeping out again around the wound. It was now a bigger, ragged laceration. As Hutch bent down to inspect the new problem, Stone raised the bat yet again, intending to inflict more damage to the already severely injured Starsky.

The crazed man closed his eyes and whooped with delight. He took no notice as to who the bat made contact with but was pleased when he realized that the blond was now below him. The bat landed directly over Hutch's shoulders and neck. The blond cried out in distress and rage. He slumped forward and curled himself over Starsky's body in a protective pose. His last thought was of the safety of his friend until he joined his partner in a black abyss of nothingness

Then all was quiet in the bar. Dobey couldn't tear himself away from the phone or bear to disconnect the line. The Captain could hear faint sounds, almost like chanting.

"It's time, I'm doing what you asked!"

"Crawford! What's goin' on? Crawford!" Dobey lost control and screamed into the phone. He soon heard a long drawn out cackle of frenzied laughter. At first the laughter was staticky but it gradually grew clearer until the haunting sound reached the captain's brain. It was a sound he would never forget.

The Captain listened, his face growing more wrinkled with worry. His eyes flared with anger the more he listened.

Stone heaved in great gulps of air. He was consumed with the pure rush of excitement. He held the bat in the air, ready to strike again, but threw it over the two still bodies. The bat landed with a thud against the bar and rolled along the floor. Suddenly remembering about the phone, he slowly walked over Starsky and Hutch and reached for the phone. The voices grew louder in his head, insistent and demanding. He shrugged off the words and instead, indulged in out of control laughter as he put the phone to his ear. While he spoke, he rubbed his right temple. The pain was sharp but exhilerating at the same time.

"You're welcome to come and witness the end of Starsky and Hutch Captain!" Stone continued the hysterical laughter as Dobey hung up the phone.

The unnerved Captain set the phone quietly back in the cradle. Huggy watched the unexpected action. The deliberate control where just seconds before there had been fear and anger caused Huggy's stomach to rebel more than the blow to his head and the spinning room combined had.

"What happened?", Huggy asked quietly. He stood up slowly, gaining his balance and moved cautiously toward the desk.

A minute passed before Harold Dobey felt he could respond.

"Stone Crawford said he already shot Starsky but beat him also with a baseball bat because Hutch wasn't paying attention and he was arrogant."

Dobey fell heavily in his chair. The leather chair creaked and protested the bulk against it. The room was still.

"He also said he was ready for us to come and witness the end of Starsky and Hutch." This last sentence was whispered in disbelief. The captain dry washed his face and closed his eyes. The appalling sounds and plausible spectacle he had just heard assaulted his senses.

The defeated pose only lasted for a few seconds. Suddenly, the big man sprang to his feet, sending the chair crashing into the wall.

"Huggy, you're going to the hospital. Please don't fight me on this. This situation with Starsky and Hutch has gone on long enough. This goon can't continue thinking he's got us by the throat!" Dobey moved as if being chased, which in fact the captain felt exactly like that. The calm resolve evident in Stone's voice scared Dobey more than he wanted to admit.

Captain Dobey's threat to send Huggy to the hospital was quickly forgotten in the mad rush to get to The Pits. Surprisingly agile, the captain rushed out of his office, screaming directions, orders and calling out names of the officers and detectives he wanted with him.

Minnie flew out of her office as she heard the excited voices outside her door. She watched as Dobey lead the surge of men down the hall and to their squad cars. She heard parts of sentences and the names 'Starsky' and 'Hutch' came back to her loud and clear.

She stopped Huggy as he weaved down the hall, attempting to keep up.

"Huggy, wait a minute! Please tell me what's going on? We heard that Stone Crawford had escaped but what does that have to do wtih Starsky?" Minnie pulled the lanky black man to her and out of the melee of foot traffic.

"Honey, Starsky's been shot by that creep and judging by the phone call Dobey just had with Crawford, our two friends are in a heap a trouble. I gotta hitch a ride with one of the cops. I need to know that those boys are alright!"

Huggy struggled out of Minnie's grasp and slid along the wall for support. The dizziness was back but he forced the symptoms down, intending to help his two friends in anyway he could.

Hearing that her favorite dark haired man was in trouble, she quickly got the dispatchers organized and recruited volunteers for the long seige she anticipated. She manned the line directly to Captain Dobey herself. Her long standing infatuation with Starsky drove her to be the first to receive any information regarding the stand off.

Huggy made his way to the police garage and managed to slip into one of the squad cars. He knew Whitehead and Jenkins wouldn't question his appearance in the back seat of their car. They had seen him with the captain and now with the confusion and concentrated effort to get organized, they gave him little notice. They glanced at him in the back seat and just nodded their acceptance and made just one comment.

"Huggy, try and be invisible. Stay out of our way and believe us when we tell you to definately stay out of Dobey's way."

The cars moved out of the parking garage. Last minute shouts from open windows and squealing tires echoed through the now almost empty parking area.


	9. Chapter 9

**THE EDGE OF DARKNESS**

**CHAPTER 9**

---------------

Everything was going along nicely. Stone congratulated himself for being able to overpower the two most feared detectives on the streets of Bay City. He moved to view the fallen heroes. Both men were still on the ground, the blond sprawled over the darker man as if to protect him. Stone laughed again and kicked at the man on top. A grunt of pain but no movement followed.

Finally he could look forward to the crowd of onlookers he longed for. Particularly he wanted as many police around as possible to see that Starsky and Hutch were nothing more than blood and flesh. He would be the giant killers! He'd heard about these two detectives for so long. Most of his cronies were scared enough to move out of the detective's district simply because they were afraid of getting caught by them. Most of the troublemakers knew that once Starsky and Hutch found you, then your life was over. But Stone Crawford would show everybody that he was brave. He would save the actual murder of the duo for when he had his sought after audience.

His destiny kept flashing before him and the voices praised him for his actions. He bowed his head as the words grabbed him.

The noises were loud in his head. Blood pumped through his veins and he could feel the energy. He could taste the blood. He longed to see the disbelief and shock on everyone's faces once he finally ended two lives. Killing those women had only been an appetizer for the final feast.

------

Hutch slowly became aware of pain. Then the pain grew more insistent and couldn't be ignored. He also realized he was laying on top of Starsky. His eyes still closed, Hutch took stock of what he felt, what he remembered. He knew that Stone was the source of his current position. He could still feel the heavy bat slam against his shoulders and neck. The tingling down his arms told him that the bat had done some sort of damage. But his immediate concern was Starsky. While still getting himself oriented, his body suddenly jerked with awareness.

Hutch still couldn't move but he listened. No moans. No swear words even. No complaints that he was too heavy and to get off of the dark haired man. No sounds. Breathing? He couldn't hear any breath sounds but wait... yes he did notice the slow up and down of Starsky's chest. But that brought another sensation. Blood. Hutch felt it hot on his head and on his shoulder. His or Starsky's, he couldn't be sure.

Tentatively, Hutch slid down Starsky's body until he was able to roll on his back. His eyes began to focus and the room stopped spinning. Hutch rested only a moment before he flopped to his belly again and shifted to his knees. He hunched over, his hands resting on his thighs. He gingerly lifted his head and felt the back of his neck. Tight knots of pain crunched up and down his back. The tingling in his arms continued. He tried fisting his hands but the action sent snakes of pain up to his neck. His right arm hung awkwardly by his side. He was sure the shoulder was dislocated but didn't know what else might be wrong. He rolled his head around as he scanned the room.

But he turned his attention back to Starsky. The injured man lay still, too still. Earlier, even in the panic of his pain, Starsky still made small movements. He continued reaching out to Hutch. He twisted to get away from the relentless pain. He even tried talking but now, the man was just too still, too quiet. His left leg was obviously broken. It stuck out at an odd angle and even through his jeans, there was blood there too. Hutch slid his good hand over the extremity and felt something sharp and sticky. But that action was enough to bring Starsky back around. The man gurgled with a loud intake of breath and his face turned gastly pale.

"Starsky, I'm here but we're in deep shit. I... I don't kn-kn--know what to do! I wasn't paying attention and look what I caused!" Hutch realized that because he took his mind off of his partner, that gave Stone the advantage. While he'd been on the phone with Captain Dobey, it gave Stone the opportunity to cause further harm to Starsky. The grief and guilt consumed him. But he forced himself to hover over the man beside him. He had to concentrate on saving his friend.

"Not your fault... the guy's..." Starsky's words were cut off by another wave of pain. Something was wrong, different. Did the maniac shoot him again? He couldn't move. It felt like hot lava ran through his veins.

Hutch struggled with his emotions as he knelt beside his friend. He tried to ignore his own discomfort in the face of Starsky's added injuries. The bullet wound now was larger and deeper due to the hit from the baseball bat. It bled freely which caused his partner to turn a whiter shade of grey. His hands were cold but the dark curls stuck to his head with sweat. Added to all of this was the bone that stuck out of Starsky's lower leg and the unnatural angle.

Hutch felt helpless and couldn't think. His own condition demanded attention. The tingling in his arms was stronger and he couldn't feel his fingers.

He sat, cradling his elbow in his other hand. The pain was minimal compared to the shame of his offense. He messed up. He should never have turned his back on Stone. His main priority at all times should be Starsky and getting them both to safety. But now, because of his lapse in duty, Starsky was critically wounded, worse than just the single bullet wound. The blond wrestled with his guilt, knowing on the one hand it would do neither of them any good for Hutch to be held back by his fear of doing nothing. But on the other hand, the severity of Starsky's injuries and his own disabled condition left him with very few options. At least if he had been constantly aware of Stone, perhaps the blond could have gotten Starsky to safety. But in their present condition, Hutch knew that rescue was not in his control.

He had to trust that Captain Dobey would find a way to save both of them. This would not be easy since Hutch could not serve as back up or even be a decoy. In that way, not only had he let his partner down, but he was no good to the police department in his present condition. The burden staring at him was heavy in his heart.

Stone walked over to the two men still on the ground. He smiled a slow, satisfied grin at the spectacle of the weak men. He thought back to the time he'd killed those women. At the very end they had the same defeated and beaten look in their eyes.

"So how do you feel now... Still feel like you and your partner can take on the world?" Stone threw his head back and laughed, a deep rumbling noise from deep in his stomach. It echoed around the quiet bar. The implication made Hutch shiver, sending new tingling pains shooting up his back.

"So why don't you just finish us off? What are you waiting for?", the blond ground out between his clenched teeth. His jaw tightened in response to the pain in his body but also because he was damn sick and tired of this game. If the guy wanted them dead, why was he drawing the inevitable conclusion out?

"You still don't get it do ya tough guy? I want everyone to watch as I finally end your stinkin' run of the street. I'm sure by now the whole police department is in an uproar over the mistreatment of their two golden boys. Your captain got an earful awhile ago. I'm sure he heard you and your partner squealing for mercy just like the little pigs you are!" Stone grew agitated and anxious for the ultimate ending he craved.

-----------

The cavalcade of police and rescue vehicles traveled the streets of Bay City with The Pits as their destination. Dobey kept a constant dialogue on the police radio. He reminded each team about the man they were dealing with. They would try to talk him out of the establishment and give up without further bloodshed but if necessary, they were to be cautious and wait till Dobey himself gave any orders to shoot.

A few blocks from their purpose, Dobey gave the order for two police cruisers and one ambulance follow him to the bar. The rest would wait for Captain Dobey's orders before converging on the bar. With those words spoken in a determined command, Dobey led the other vehicles to the back alley of The Pits. The word had gone out earlier to evacuate as many of the surrounding businesses as possible. Once the situation had made the rounds on the streets, most of the closer bars, stores and massage parlors had willingly locked the doors behind them in their haste to avoid being in the crossfire. Even the vagrants, street gangs and assorted dealers and hookers voluntarily gave up their territory. Not only did most of these people respect Starsky and Hutch, rumors had been flying about the Rubber Ducky Man and the killing spree of Stone Crawford.


	10. Chapter 10

**THE EDGE OF DARKNESS**

**Chapter 10**

-----------

Reaching the back alley, the captain gave the order for the men to get in position and stand waiting outside of their cars. The quiet was eerie for that time of night. Normally the streets were busy with people milling about conducting all types of business. Sirens, shouting, even gun fire were normal occurances around the neighborhood. Now the only sound Captain Dobey was aware of was the rush of blood he could hear in his ears. His heart beat with anticipation. He noticed the determined faces as he looked around at the men with him. He was proud of these people and only hoped that a peaceful conclusion would follow.

Once the officers were positioned, Dobey reached inside his cruiser for the bull horn. He hesitated, gathering his thoughts as he tried to push down his own personal feelings for the men inside. He was often harsh and overbearing with his officers, particularly Starsky and Hutch. But he expected much more from them. He was always confident in their ability to handle themselves. These two detectives were young but experienced. They trusted each other but delighted in practicle jokes and giving their captain a hard time. Dobey was gruff and demanding but he had the deepest respect for these two men who's life now hung in the balance.

He rubbed his eyes, squared his shoulders and looked once more at the area and at his men. He gave the thumbs up sign and clicked the bull horn on, ready to call Stone Crawford out.

"Stone Crawford! This is The Bay City Metropolitan Police. We have the building surrounded. Come out with your hands up and no harm will come to you!" Dobey clicked off the speaker and waited. He really didn't expect any action right away but he scanned the doorway for any signs of movement. He leaned into the space, hoping to hear something he couldn't see.

Inside the bar, Stone continued to pace. He heard the sirens in the background but didn't immediately respond. He turned around and contemplated shooting the two men with him right then, but he really wanted everyone to witness his triumph. He planned on forcing the police to enter the bar and before they would be able to apprehend him, he would choose that moment to fire just two shots, one at each detective. One bullet each should be enough to finish both of them.

He watched both men. Neither one seemed aware of the approaching sirens. He snarled to himself, sickened by the weak display in front of him. Both men obviously were scared and needed the other, despite there being no hope of rescue.

"Starsky, you still with me? Hey buddy... can you hear me?" Hutch had shut out Stone Crawford completely from his mind.

At this point, Hutch only cared about Starsky. The dark haired man had weakened considierably and his breathing was shallow. His chest and lower body was a mess of blood. The original bullet wound was now a gaping hole. Hutch tried to apply pressure in order to staunch the bleeding but it caused so much extra pain for Starsky, that Hutch opted for just leaving the wound exposed to the air.

The curly head wagged back and forth as Starsky tried to focus on his partner's voice. Judging from the amount of stress in Hutch's voice, Starsky realized they were in a very serious situation. He knew his condition was bad but his vision was so fuzzy, he couldn't really see that Hutch had been injured. But he concentrated instead on the voice, that in itself, comforting.

"Yeah, are we havin' fun yet?" Starsky coughed through a stabbing pain. He tried to curl his body but he no longer had control of his muscles. He couldn't feel his legs except for the burning in his thigh. Hutch kept pushing his hand away whenever the wounded detective tried searching with his lax hand. He had no control anyway of his hand so it usually just ended up flopping on Hutch's lap.

"I wouldn't call any of this the best day of my life but we'll get out of this. We've been in worse predicaments"

Hutch still held his arm close to his body. With his other hand, he kept touching Starsky. The guilt in him taunted him. The only thing he had left was offering the physical comfort they both craved.

Starsky let out a strangled laugh. It stuck in his throat and was more of a cry of agony but his mouth did manage a lop sided grin.

"Hey, do you hear that?" Hutch lifted his head, aware of noises coming closer. He watched as Stone heard it too. The tall convict stopped his relentless pacing and stared over at the two men on the floor.

Then there it was. Probably the best sound Hutch had ever heard. The normally gruff bellow reached them inside their prison. He leaned over to Starsky, wanting to share this little bit of hope with his friend.

"Ya hear that partner? The cavalry has arrived!"

Starsky stopped shaking long enough to answer back. "Yeah, and I'll bet he isn't even using a bull horn!"

Starsky's voice dropped off and Hutch thought he'd passed out. But the sapphire blue eyes peeked out from under the hooded lids. No words were spoken between them but the message was clear:

_'whatever the outcome, we're in this together.'_

Hutch's blue eyes were cloudy with guilt but his eyes locked on to the other's, promising that they were ready for anything and trusting only the other.

"Well, now. Sounds like we have company!" Stone stopped and turned toward the noise. He listened as Captain Dobey called out his invitation.

"Yeah ,right and the minute I show my face, I'm dead. Well, before that happens, I need to make sure you guys go first!" Stone casually took a seat at the nearest table.

"What's a matter Stone, suddenly lost your nerve?" From somewhere deep inside, Hutch's resolve came back. He would not go down without a fight and his voice took on a hard, nasty edge.

Stone chose to ignore the sarcasm Hutch spewed at him. It wouldn't do now for him to lose his control. He had everybody right where he wanted them. Let Dobey and his men come to him. That would happen eventually, once the cops got tired of being polite.

"No, on the contrary pretty boy. I'm waiting for those suckers out there to get restless and try to storm the place. Then I can not only make sure you guys get caught in the gun fire, but I'll be killed as well and I win! It don't matter to me that I'm gonna die, because I'll be makin' a name for myself the second my body hits the ground!"

Stone slapped the table with the palm of his hand to emphasize his point.

Now Hutch was sure they were facing death. The only thing he had left were words. He wouldn't die without defending himself, his partner or his police department.

"Those men out there can wait forever if they have to. They don't negotiate with ass holes!" Just then Captain Dobey's voice reached them again. The warning was clear in the words.

----"Crawford, you have five minutes. If you don't give yourself up by then, we'll come in after you. No promises or deals will be offered. Whether you live or die is up to you" ----

The voice clicked off and Stone threw his head back and let out a whoop of triumph.

"So, you better say your prayers. Sounds like the end is near!" Crawford stood up and grabbed his ears. He suddenly grunted with pain.

Hutch watched as Stone seemed to wither with indecision. His strong words were replaced with the posture of fear. Hutch wondered if maybe if he pushed the convict just enough, he could confuse him and make him hesitate long enough until help arrived.

"Your conscience bothering you Stone? You sorry and scared now that you're gonna screw up your plans?" Hutch swayed, dizzy but determined to fight until there was nothing left in him to protect his partner with.

He felt something drip into his eye and raised his hand to his head. Blood. His head was bleeding. No matter, he forced himself to focus on surviving.

"Shut the hell up! Just the opposite. You know that little voice you hear in your head that's pushing you to fight back? Well the voice in my head ain't so little and it's tellin' me to finish you bastards!"

The noises in his head from earlier were back. The pounding blood through his ears was deafening. He heard the voices mock him. He welcomed the angel of death. All of the sudden, the noise grew to such a pitch that he spun around, trying to get away from the laughter.

"I didn't think it would be like this! Why are you punishing me? Stop!" Stone threw himself back down on the chair with such force that once he landed on it, it toppled over, sending him and the seat crashing to the floor.

Hutch wasn't sure what was happening. He wondered if Stone had snapped? The only noise he heard came from outside, very near the kitchen door. He realized it was a dog. Barking and howling, the animal sounded in pain, lost and afraid.

Hutch turned back to Starsky and slid down to the floor beside him.

"Buddy, I don't know what's happening but hang in there. I'll try to keep you safe from whatever comes our way but remember, it's me and thee!"

Just then, Stone crawled toward the kitchen door and finally scrambled to his feet.

"I ain't afraid of you! I welcome you! You're calling me and I'm obeying! You give me my courage! I believe in your promise of eternity!" Stone finally snapped.

The dog continued to howl and it seemed to Hutch that it was that noise that Crawford was responding to. He huddled beside Starsky, not sure what to expect. Suddenly, Stone propelled himself toward the kitchen door, mumbling about accepting his defining moment.


	11. Chapter 11

**THE EDGE OF DARKNESS**

**CHAPTER 11**

-------------

Huggy crouched down in the back of the police cruiser. He wasn't about to remain isolated from his friends but he settled back to wait until the opportunity arose. Huggy waited until the Captain was out of sight and the other uniformed men were busy going over their assignments. He opened the car door and quietly slipped away from the other police. He kept low, his body bent over, as he followed along the walls of the buildings until he reached his bar. He wanted to know first hand what was happening and be there to comfort his friends in any way possible. He forced himself to think positive as he got closer to the tense scene. He had no wish to get in the way, but he had to know about Starsky and Hutch.

Dobey's men waited. Each man kept their eyes on the bar's back door.

The officers were unsure what to expect but acutely aware of their fellow officers and friends inside. Suddenly, Dobey turned toward a dumpster next to the fence behind him. Guns pointed toward the noise but the Captain waved everyone off. Tentatively, Dobey walked toward the fence, thinking he heard scratching in the dirt. He was perhaps 10 feet away when a muddy, scrawney dog came into view.

Huggy saw the dog too and knew it was Special, the stray dog he'd been feeding anytime it came around his bar. He cautiously moved toward Dobey who glared at him but let the other man continue forward. The dog cocked it's head and wagged his tail as he recognized his friend. He took a few steps toward Huggy but suddenly it shifted direction and started to growl. He lifted his head and sniffed the air. Huggy continued walking toward it but quickly, the animal darted past Huggy and ran toward the back door of the bar. Huggy winced as he heard guns cocked and saw the men take aim.

"Captain, please don't shoot him! He don't mean no harm. He won't hurt anyone!"

The captain held up his hand, silently demanding that each man wait. They watched as the dog stopped at the door. It stood still but started a long, drawn out howling. It stopped and barked a deep menacing growl before it started the howling again.

Like a movie in slow motion, the next seconds spread out before the group. The dog suddenly stopped and backed away from the door. It did not move again but started a heavy growl. The dog kept it up until the screen door of the bar sprang open. The growling was joined by a human noise so blood curdling that time seemed to stand still. There in the door way was Stone Crawford. He propelled himself forward, keening and wailing. The dog stopped and backed away. Stone also stopped the incessant noise and became calm and tranquil as he raised his arms with a gun in hand. But he spoke in a quiet, welcoming voice, unconcerned that guns were ready to take him down.

"Come in gentlemen. I've been expecting you! Help me answer my calling!"

Stone slowly turned back inside the bar while behind him, Captain Dobey made a decision. The Captain ordered only one other person to join him as he entered the bar to follow the convict. The less people involved in the danger he expected, the better. He had no wish to award posthumous medals of honor to families.

"Stop! Stop right now or I'll be forced to shoot!" The Captain aimed his weapon as he followed Stone back into the bar.

The convict disappeaped inside followed by the Captain. Huggy pushed forward, wanting to get to the dog, but he tripped and landed on his knees. The dog turned his attention to Huggy and ran to join the fallen man. Huggy gave up trying to ignore the pain in his head and the dizziness that had never disappeared since he first was attacked. He welcomed the dog, who without hesitation, joined Huggy on the ground. The dog wagged it's tail as Huggy pressed the dog to him. A whirlwind of different emotions assaulted Huggy as he held the dog in his arms. He was happy that the dog finally trusted him but selfishly, Huggy just wanted to feel another heart beat. He was extremely worried about the plight of his friends. Huggy closed his eyes against the images that flashed through his brain.

He said his own silent mantra of peace as he watched the police Captain and another officer follow Stone back into the bar. Their guns were drawn and ready to fire.

Captain Dobey and the other officer walked into the bar, their guns held out in front of them. They took a few steps into the main section before Captain Dobey motioned for the officer with him to stand where he was. The scene that greeted the officers was one of opposites. They reached the inside only to find Stone calmly waiting for them. However, he had his back to them with a gun pointed at Hutch.

Captain Dobey swept the room with his gun and his eyes, taking in each person's position. He saw Starsky laying very still. He was badly beaten and bleeding. Hutch stood over him, putting himself in between his friend and the crazed convict. Hutch also was bleeding from the head and his arm was cradled close to his body, his chest heaving with the effort it took him to stay on his feet. A dark and dangerous look shadowed the blond's face. He was hunched over in pain but it was apparent that his first concern was for Starsky.

Quietly, but firmly Dobey spoke to Stone.

"Stone Crawford, I order you to turn around, put your gun down and kick it to me. Do it now!" Stone continued to face Hutch, waving the gun between the two men as if trying to decide whom to shoot first. His indecision was about to cost him.

"Crawford, do as I say! Put your hands up or I'll be forced to shoot!" Dobey inclined his head, indicating that he wanted the other officer to move to the Captain's side and cover Crawford from that angle. Stone had not said a word since Dobey had entered the restaurant. They were definately at a stand off and only Stone knew how it was all going to end.

Crawford took a step back, aimed directly at Hutch who at that moment lunged toward the prison garbed inmate. But before Stone could get a shot off, a bullet ripped into his side which caused him to spin around. He smiled at Dobey before he lurched back toward Hutch and aimed again. Another shot to the gunman's back and Crawford went down in a heap.

Stone lay sprawled on the ground. Dobey kept his gun pointed at Stone as he carefully moved to examine the body. He kicked the weapon out of the way.

The Captain bent to kneel beside the fallen man, listening to Stone Crawford's last words.

"I won! The voices are pleased! I have the promise of eternity!" Stone choked as he tried to inhale but forced his voice out once more with the last of his strength.

"My Destiny!"

Stone's final breath shuddered from his chest and the man was dead.

Dobey stood up but before he could reach him, Hutch wilted to the floor and groaned as he lay there.

Captain Dobey moved quickly outside and stopped long enough to reassure everyone that Stone was dead but that Starsky and Hutch were in grave condition.

"We all need to get to work. I want the coroner's wagon, crime investigators and especially the medics... get in here now!" The Captain's big voice boomed even as he turned back into the bar to be with Starsky and Hutch.

Huggy pressed himself harder into his dog, now officially named Special. He rubbed the dog's ears briskly but stood up, intending to join the Captain. He took a few steps but fell to his knees again. The ground spun around him and his ears buzzed before he lost consciousness. One cop went to help Huggy while another went into the bar to update the situation outside.

Inside the bar, the paramedics surrounded Starsky, checking his vital signs and calling out the various condition of each injury. They requested another ambulance just as the cop from outside joined them.

"Excuse me sir, but the bar owner just collapsed outside. You're gonna need another ambulance." The young cop swallowed hard as he watched the attention that was focused on the two detectives. He shrank back as Dobey barked out his displeasure.

"What the hell... I told the guy to get to the hospital!" Dobey stopped his tirade as he looked from Starsky to Hutch and back at Starsky. He couldn't very well blame Huggy for wanting to be near his friends. Dobey sighed and wiped his face wtih his hand as he turned back to the young cop.

"We already requested another ambulance son. Just wait outside for them and make sure one of them sees to Huggy. Thanks for the information."

At present the paramedics were both hovering over Starsky, realizing that his condition was far more critical than the blond man's. Dobey crouched down beside Hutch. He was unsure what to say but he wanted the blond to know that Starsky was in good hands. Hutch was agitated and in pain but wiggled his way toward his friend. Dobey put his hand out to comfort Hutch but the blond was intent on getting to the dark haired man.

"Cap... He hasn't moved in at least 20 minutes! I just gotta know..." Hutch forced himself into a sitting position and leaned into Starsky.

He reached down to grasp the pale wrist. He wrapped his fingers around the lax hand, searching for the life pulse. The paramedics had already announced that the pulse was thready and weak but Hutch needed to feel the life for himself, no matter how faint.

As he held the hand, Hutch's chin dipped down to rest on his chest. He could feel the pulse and for now, that was enough. He could believe that Starsky would survive.

"Hutch, c'mon now boy. You gotta let these guys help you too. You did all you could to protect Starsky but now, just lay back, let them look at you." Dobey pressed gently on Hutch's chest to guide him back to the floor.

Hutch didn't or couldn't resist any longer. He let the men work over him but the blond kept twisting his head, calling out to Starsky.

"Hey buddy, don't you give up on me! I'm here. You'll be okay!"

Hutch's voice weakend. His eyes fluttered shut but opened again as he once again turned toward his friend.

A last look at Starsky and Hutch gave up. He had no more power left for anything but breathing. The last thing he remembered was the pain in his shoulder and Starsky's name echoing around him. The room swirled and dipped until there was nothing.

The medics worked quickly to get both men stabilized and ready to transport to the hospital. Dobey noticed that the men worked steadily and whispered in short sentences to each other. Two worked exclusively with Starsky while the other tended to the blond. Soon after, the detectives were ready and on their way to the hospital.

Dobey stood in the bar after everyone left, looking at the discarded and bloody materials and pieces of clothing. He took in a deep breath and as the ragged air scraped over his lungs and out of his mouth, Captain Dobey wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He sniffed and looked around one more time. It wouldn't do his reputation any good if anyone had seen the crack in his armour.

As he walked back outside, his voice thundered with directions and demands. Through the gruffness, he softened his words to every man he came to with a grateful pat on the shoulder. He continued the rounds, making sure that the work got done and reminding everyone that he wanted their reports on his desk in 24 hours, if not sooner.

The Captain had to keep his mind focused on his duties but he found he kept looking at his watch, measuring how much time had elapsed since the ambulances had left the scene. Just as Dobey was on the police radio, he saw the dog.

It stood off by itself as if waiting for something. Dobey clicked off the microphone and walked slowly toward the animal. The dog backed away but did not growl or run.

"Hey Johnson, you got anything to eat in the squad car?" By this time, the investigation was winding down and most of the detectives and crime investigators had already left. It was very late but Dobey felt obliged to feed this animal. In a matter of minutes, a collection of donuts, cereal and half a sandwich were rounded up. Johnson brought the gifts to the dog and just set them on the ground in front of Huggy's new friend.

The dog's tail began to wag as he watched the people in front of him. He stood over the food, sniffing each item. Dobey continued to watch but the dog did not immediately start to eat. Finally the Captain turned away to attend to another question and as the men turned back to their tasks, it began to take small bites.

The dog named Special stopped feasting and once again studied his surroundings. He bit down on the donut and kept his teeth around it. He made his way to Captain Dobey. The big man stood with his back to the dog, reading over a log concerning details of the day. A low whine from behind caught Dobey's attention and the young man he'd been talking to. As they turned to look, the dog dropped the donut at the Captain's feet. It sat back on it's haunches and it's ears stood up, it's mouth hung open and tongue wagging.

Dobey looked back at his companion, smiled and burst out laughing. The tension was broken and a round of whoops and applause broke out. The dog seemed satisfied with it's offering and Dobey was relieved to know that they'd all made a new friend. He doubted that the dog would let any of them touch him or take him home, but the Captain could make arrangements for a cruiser to come by regularly while Huggy was hospitalized in order to feed the dog. No one wanted to see this animal neglected or harmed.


	12. Chapter 12

**THE EDGE OF DARKNESS**

**CHAPTER 12**

------------

Hutch was ready to jump out of his skin. He was on a gurney in the emergency room and he knew that Starsky was in the same room. But his view of his friend was cut off by the curtain that separated the two beds. Hutch tried to follow the pieces of conversation he heard on the other side. The voices were disjointed and the words echoed around him. It was like listening to something being spoken in a different language. He understood single words or a sentence occasionally but for the most part, he was bewildered and scared. The concussion resulted in his confussion but Hutch only knew that Starsky was in grave danger and the blond needed to be with his friend.

Hutch tried to ignore the nurses who swarmed around him but he flinched as the needle bit into the vein on his arm. He turned his head toward the muted voices rather than think about the stinging sensation as the doctor probed and manipulated his shoulder. He was groggy and shaky but he had to reach out to Starsky. His head pounded and his shoulder burned but he tried to concentrate on what might be going on behind that curtain. Starsky still had not awakened since they'd been brought to the hospital and that concerned Hutch. He also couldn't help himself. He had to offer verbal support.

"Starsky.. I'm here! C'mon boy and make some noise!" The unnatural stillness unsettled Hutch and fueled the flames of his guilt. Again, he scolded himself for his inability to help Starsky when he needed him most.

"Detective, please lay still. You have a severe concusion, a lacerated scalp, a dislocated shoulder and a few broken ribs. We'll be taking you to surgery shortly." The doctor stated matter of factly the list of injuries but was not pleased that his patient didn't seem to be paying attention.

"What's happening? Is he okay?!" Hutch tried to sit up but his shoulder protested and the blond bounced back against the mattress. He let out a sigh that was somewhere between frustration and pain.

He'd been pleading for someone to help his friend but Hutch didn't realise how distraught he'd become. The nurses tried to calm him with their quiet assurances but Hutch wasn't interested in their words.

The emergency room nurse had sought out the police captain when Hutch became extremely agitated. The head injury resulted in a very emotional and distracted Hutch. His fear turned into a battle of arms and guilt as he fought against the people who were only trying to keep him safe.

The Captain had secured the crime scene as quickly as possible and left the various units to their tasks. An hour later found him pacing in the visitor's lounge when a nurse bustled in calling out for family of Ken Hutchinson. The Captain glanced at his watch again as he stopped circling the room and made his way over to the nurse.

She efficiently explained that Ken Hutchinson was highly agitated. Dobey smiled to himself. He could just imagine the commotion the blond would be making inspite of his own condition. Hutchinson would be hard to deal with until he knew for sure that Starsky was alright. Dobey didn't wait to be invited back to the cubicle, instead he rumbled past the starched nurse and followed the voice until he reached Hutch's room.

The nurse had been very discreet in her public appeal to Captain Dobey. As he entered the room, he took in the pleading tone coming from one bed and the quiet bedlam surrounding the other bed. One doctor and two nurses worked quickly on Starsky. Their voices rattled off numbers and readings while another nurse slit the bloody clothes from the dark haired man's body.

Pulling himself away, Dobey turned to Hutch on the other bed. The blond flailed his hands at the people surrounding him. His fear was evident in the pitch of his voice and he repeated one name again and again.

"Starsky... Starsk!"

The Captain hovered just out of the way until a nurse caught his eye and begged him to help them. Somehow they needed Hutch to calm down and hoped that this visitor would have more effect than the three nurses were having.

Dobey took a few steps toward the bed and spoke in a calm, but firm voice.

"Hutchinson... Starsky's being well taken care of. Just let these people help you now. Do you hear me?" At the strong, familar voice Hutch relaxed slightly and turned his gaze toward his superior.

"Cap, Starsky--- is he okay?" Dobey quickly met the nurses blank face and she just shrugged her shoulders. Dobey again turned toward the other bed, noticing another white coated man had entered the space.

More instructions spoken with more urgency seemed to be what everyone had been waiting for. The new doctor rattled out specific orders followed by his own quiet consultation with the first doctor.

Dobey turned his attention back to Hutch.

"Listen here.. You aren't doing Starsky any good by carrying on this way. Just do what you guys do best... that silent stuff. He knows you're with him so just cooperate now.. that's an order!" Dobey's voice had lost some of the gruffness and by the time he'd finished his last word, Hutch had relaxed and didn't fight the probing and did his best to answer the endless questions the nurse asked him.

A short time later, the memory of his wounded friend came back to the cop. His frustration grew at his perceived guilt but at the moment, all he could manage was to grasp the metal railing on the bed. It vibrated and shook under his hand. Dobey watched the agony in the blue eyes and wondered if the railing clanked against the side of the bed because Hutch was shaking out of pain or something only the two detectives could understand.

Hutch blinked and squinted. He finally recognized the captain but confusion deepened the furrow between his eyes.

The blond gulped and winced as the pain in his shoulder grabbed him. With his other hand he covered his eyes. The lights were too bright but he also tried to shut out the guilt that continued to swirl around him.

"Hutch.. you'll be okay. So will Starsky" Hutch cracked an eye open and was surprised to find Captain Dobey standing beside the gurney.

"You were making too much racket. The nurse thought I might be able to calm you down."

Dobey wasn't sure he could make the injured man understand how much time had passed. Starsky was in surgery and Hutch had passed out for awhile after that.

As Hutch came around agin, he hadn't noticed that he was without his partner. But soon enough, the events of the past few hours came flooding back and the remorse in the pained blue eyes turned to the Captain for help.

"Cap... I should've been more aware of Stone. I should never have turned my back on the bastard!" Hutch punched the mattress with his hand to emphasize his guilt.

"Hutchinson, no more of this guilt trip. You hear me? Crawford was a sick man. There was no way to have predicted what he was gonna do." Dobey sat forward and reached his hand out to Hutch. He hesitated and instead, he grabbed the rail and wrapped his hand around the cold metal.

The captain watched as the blond head turned toward the other side of the room. Dobey tried to answer the fear he saw in the blue eyes.

Dobey sat in the hard, unforgiving plastic chair. He was uncomfortable and did not know exactly what was expected of him. He wasn't sure he could provide Hutch with what the man craved.

"You've been out of it for awhile. Starsky's in surgery. A specialist was called in to examine your shoulder and they should be coming to take you for surgery soon."

Hutch turned back to face his captain. He closed his eyes in resignation. Things were now out of his control. But one thing he could control and he was determined to make his point.

"Cap make sure they put us in the same room! I swear if I wake up and Starsky's not there..." Hutch's voice couldn't maintain the demanding tone but Dobey knew better than to dismiss the odd request. He remembered from experience that it would only cause more trouble if the two detectives weren't together during the hospital stay. He couldn't explain it other than to accept the bond the two shared. It was obvious that in times of great physical stress, they did better and healed quicker if they were allowed to be near each other.

The captain stood up just as two orderlies came into the room. The men busied themselves making sure Hutch was tucked in and any equipment that needed to go with the patient was also part of the move to surgery.

"Promise me cap! Make sure!" Hutch's voice was no more than a whisper but it was loud enough to reach the Captain's heart. There's no way in hell he'd allow the two men to be separated.

The Captain stood in the hall, watching as the gurney made it's way to surgery. He leaned against the wall, anticipating more waiting. Slowly he pushed away from the wall and his feet guided him to the visitor's lounge. His breath hitched in his chest as he lowered himself to a blue plastic chair. He closed his eyes as he leaned back but opened them quickly. The things he saw when his eyes closed scared him more than what was in front of him. He wished Edith were with him. She had such a calm aura about her that in times of stress, he'd found himself needing her more. Maybe he was getting too old for this job. Maybe he was more emotionally involved with Starsky and Hutch than he should be. Maybe he cared about these two detectives more than he was willing to acknowledge.


	13. Chapter 13

**THE EDGE OF DARKNESS**

**CHAPTER 13**

------------

The needle like pricks behind his eyes and in his nose were the first things that reached Starsky's foggy brain. His small square of existence consisted of a very recognizable, all too familar sensation of a dry nose, burning in his nostrils and a scratchy throat. All of this registered slowly as he grew more aware of his condition. The inside of his mouth felt like sandpaper and he tentatively ran his tongue around his teeth. Nothing obstructed his tongue's path as it scraped against his teeth and darted out to lick his dry lips. The tongue made it from one side of his mouth to the other and to him this was an excellent sign. It meant that there was no ventilator hose stuck down his throat, breathing for him. As he awoke further, he kept his eyes closed against the expected brightness of the sterile room he knew he'd find himself in. But now the fear set in. He didn't want to be alone. He tried speaking but his throat burned with the effort. He wasn't even sure that the sound had made it past his lips. He gave up the effort and for now, slipped back into a cocoon of oblivion.

Starsky had no idea how much time had passed since his first tentative exploration of his person but now he became aware of other sensations, not all of them good. He felt like he was floating on a prickly bed of nails. He tried to wiggle away to a warmer, softer place but the jagged edges seemed to surround him. He thought he heard voices but couldn't understand the words. He could feel the fear wrap around him and he tried to open his eyes. They were heavy and hot but another sensation, this time one of comfort, reached him. Cool, wet and oh so refreshing.

"C'mon buddy... it's time to wake up. You're almost there." Hutch spoke in a soft tone. He wiped Starsky's forehead with the damp cloth. He brushed it against Starsky's dry lips and was rewarded by a tongue that briefly snaked out to lap up the moisture.

For the first time in three days, Hutch felt his breath release fully from his lungs. Starsky's surgery went well but the dark haired man had remained in a coma. The first surgery repaired the immediate damage caused by Stone Crawford. When the crazed man had wielded the bat down on the bullet hole, it caused the projectile to move deeper into the abused man's body. The surgeons spent 6 long hours skillfully and confidently repairing the damage. They found the bullet lodged against Starsky's spine, pressing on nerves. The bullet also had ripped a path through muscle and tissue, shredding and tearing at his insides.

Hutch reached for the hand resting against the white sheet. It was warmer than it had been yesterday and now the blond encircled that limp hand in his.

"I'm here Starsky. Don't be afraid. The lights are turned low because I know that's always the first thing you complain about. So how about it, open those blue eyes!" Hutch remained encouraged with the effort his friend made to pull out of the foggy shroud of sleepiness.

The eyelashes flickered slightly, then the lids rose a fraction but not enough to reveal the sapphire blue of Starsky's eyes. Hutch pushed the call button and shortly, a nurse entered the room with soft, purposeful steps.

Hutch turned as he heard the muted whoosh of the door closing.

"Reba, I'm pretty sure he's waking up. He's moving his eyes more and trying to open them. He even responded to the wetness on his lips." Hutch never took his eyes off the man in the bed and continued stroking Starsky's hand.

"That's good Hutch. Just keep talking to him. I'm just going to take his blood pressure and check his pulse but I'm sure he's coming around." Reba monitored her patient and made some notes on the chart. She touched Hutch on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Here, it's time for your medication." Hutch ignored the petite nurse with the strawberry blond hair. She nudged him again, this time offering the plastic cup with the two pills. She also checked his I.V. and fiddled with the gauge to get a reading of how much time was left before it needed to be replaced. Hutch's surgery had been two days ago and his shoulder and arm remained strapped against his chest. The pain had receeded but the tingling and burning continued. His head still throbbed but not with the swirling confusion he'd experienced while still in the emergency room.

Finally Hutch tore himself away from his vigil long enough to scowl good naturedly at Reba. He raised the cup containing the pills in salute, popped them into his mouth and washed them down with the water that Reba provided. He knew that he had perhaps another hour before the pills would make him groggy. He wanted to stay by his friend's side but also knew the value of rest as part of his own recovery.

When he turned back to the bed, he was delighted and surprised to see Starsky's open stare. It took a second for that fact to sink in but he wasn't the only one to witness the happy event. Reba took another blood pressure reading and checked his pulse. She was relieved when both numbers were stronger than the last time.

"He won't be awake long. Just reassure him that he's okay but once he's asleep, do me a favor and get some rest too. You've been up too long." Reba's words fell on distracted ears as she watched Hutch stand and hover over his friend. She knew better than to argue with the blond or repeat her suggestion. Hutch would stay with Starsky as long as his own reserve would let him. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time she'd found the detective asleep in the recliner beside the silent man in the bed.

Starsky licked his lips again and blinked. He swallowed and grimaced as the dryness reached his throat. Hutch picked up the cup of ice and rubbed a small chip across the cracked lips. Starsky opened his eyes again, the blue a little darker than normal, indicating fear and uncertainty.

"You're gonna be fine pal. I'll fill you in on everything later. Just go back to sleep. Rest and we'll talk tomorrow." Hutch let the ice chip slip into his friend's mouth. Starsky made a contented, sleepy sound. The blond watched for another minute until he was sure that the blue eyes wouldn't open again. He dotted the soft, moist cloth over the pale forehead before giving in to his own fatigue.

Twenty four hours passed until Starsky was able to stay focused enough for conversation. He slowly made his way back to full awarness and once he did, he was full of questions. It unnerved him to have lost four days. He didn't ask for details of those missing days because he was quite certain that he'd be better off not knowing.

As his confusion lifted, he began to catalogue the various things that were connected to him and holding him captive in bed. Starsky had no choice but to accept the confinement

His leg was suspended in a sling - like- contraption with a series of pullys and weights meant to keep the leg in the right position. He was attached to several different IV solutions, a catheter draining his kidneys as well as a tube inserted into the wound at his side that drained undesirable fluids. As soon as he was stronger, surgery to repair his leg would involve placing pins and screws until the bones could knit back together.

Starsky felt he was entitled to complain. Oh, not about the pain or the medications required to combat the infections and promote healing. But the embarrasment of his situation was what caused the dark haired man to bitch the most. Since getting out of bed was not possible, he had to put up with a catheter, he relied on the dreaded bed pan and perhaps the thing that caused the most stress, bedbaths. He didn't know which was worse; the older, drill sergeant type nurse who attacked him with a scratchy sponge and smelly soap and showed no mercy, or the younger nursing students who hadn't yet learned to mask the fear and pity in their eyes.

A week after fully coming out of the coma, Starsky had surgery to place the pins and screws in his leg. He would remain bed bound until the swelling went down. At that point his therapy would include getting out of bed, stretching , regaining muscle tone and convincing his lethargic body to move again.

There was a steady parade of doctors and each one poked and prodded a different part of his anatomy. Starsky searched the faces of the white clad specialists everytime they made their daily rounds. It scared him that the tingling in his toes was often mixed with a creepy crawly feeling that would sometimes start in his big toe and travel all the way up his spine.

The doctors were confident that the numbness and tingling in Starsky's legs would fade once his body began to heal given time and therapy. At first, Starsky was too weak to do much more than sit on the edge of the bed, but because of his stubborn resolve and Hutch's coaching, he slowly began the difficult and painful steps back to independence.

It didn't matter what purpose each person had to be in the room but, it didn't take long for word to get around about the man in bed #2 in room 347. Whether it was the silent but thorough older lady who came by each morning to mop the dingy tile in the room, the volunteer who brought them their meals, the nurses who stuck to the unwavering medication, wound care, vital information checks and other assorted routine but essential duties, but each person understood the meaning of tough. Starsky was rarely left alone in the first weeks after he emerged from his coma and then later, after two surgeries, therapy sessions, wound care, doctor consultations, tests, and other procedures, he still found a way to offer a smile to all who cared for him or about him. Although he was scared and in pain, he always had a kind word to anyone who walked through the door. Of course he was grumpy, short tempered and as Hutch liked to point out, mulish, Starsky turned those emotions inward, pushing himself hourly to improve and make his body heal.

Starsky sat hunched over the bed tray, stabbing at what looked like meatloaf. His mouth was set in a thin line of displeasure as he continued to push the gloppy mess around on his plate. Finally the fork clattered on the plate and he pushed the tray away.

"When's Huggy comin'?" Starsky glanced over at the blond who at that minute started choking on the dry piece of bread which had stuck in his throat.

Starsky watched the redness leave the pale face as Hutch reached for the glass of water. The glass drained of it's contents, the blond sighed with relief and sat back against the chair. He rotated his shoulder and grabbed at the spot where the pain centered.

"Starsky, I think we've been cooped up in the same room too long. You complain all day about how lousy the food is but when Huggy does bring you something from his bar, you moan about not being hungry. You're really grouchy and I'm damn glad I'm gettin' outta here." Hutch's therapy had continued well even though the blond was still concerned that his range of motion in the shoulder and his ability to grip were still way under what he'd expect or accept. His other injuries had healed and his release date was a few days away.

But he stopped the joking when he saw the fear pass over the other man's face. In the relative quiet of night and in his sleep, Starsky had nightmares that he was never able to identify after he finally pulled himself out of the gloom that invaded his dreams. The only thing that he knew for sure was that Hutch's presence always had the capacity to ground him and reassure him that he was now safe.

Hutch stood up and moved to Starsky's bedside. His friend couldn't hide the fear that loomed in his eyes. For this, Hutch felt the stab of guilt rise up in his chest. The blond reached out to his partner, resting an unsteady hand on a trembling shoulder. Silently the confidence and promise of closeness passed between them until Starsky nodded his head as he pushed himself back against the pillow.

Starsky understood that he didn't have to ask. Hutch would continue to stay with his friend until he also was released. That date was still a few weeks away and Hutch couldn't fault Starsky for his ill temper. But today had been a bad day for both of them. Starsky's therapy had been long and tiresome. No new progress had been achieved and the dark haired man had returned to his room in pain and also very quiet.

Hutch was torn by his conflicting emotions. He was glad that he would be going home but he continued to wrestle with the guilt of their mistreatment at the hands of Stone Crawford. The detective still felt he'd let his partner down by literally turning his back on him when the man needed him most. Hutch continued to work through that guilt with his friend. But Starsky saw no reason for it and as soon as the blue eyes fill with remorse and the furrow between them grew deeper, Starsky wagged a finger in Hutch's face and silently answered back with a hard look of his own.

Starsky continued with his earlier food complaints as he swung his legs to the side of the bed.

"Yeah, well, today I want a beef burito and a fizzy drink. And buddy, ya know I love you but personally, I'm sick of you too." Starsky good naturedly stuck his tongue out at the serious look from the other man. The childish gesture had the desired effect and the smile that reached his friend's blue eyes was sincere and full of gratitude.

A comfortable silence followed but Hutch's eyes grew cloudy and Starsky wanted to know what was behind the lines of worry that had retuned on his friends face. He was pretty sure he knew what the reason was.

"Hutch, will ya stop already with blaming yourself for what happend? We were in the wrong place at the wrong time and that bastard just had it in for us." Starsky shifted on the bed to face his partner directly. He waited until the blue eyes were level with his own before he spoke again.

"Give it a rest, blondie! Nobody blames you. Dobey didn't shout at you did he?" Starsky waited till Hutch had indicated with a shake of his head that the statement was true. The dark head shook as well, only for him, it was more a way to acknowledge the sometimes thick headed, self doubt that plagued his partner.

"But Starsky, I shoulda..." Hutch's words were cut off with a very annoyed huffing sound from his friend.

As if speaking to a small child, Starsky chose his words carefully and spoke slowly to emphasize his point.

"Look, I'm okay now. My therapy is comin' along and another week I'll get outta here. Your going home in a day or two and you're doing well too. But man, just let the guilt go. It's because of you that I made it this far in the first place. Think to the future rather than the shit we just went through."

Hutch blinked at the thoughtful words Starsky had just delivered. Sometimes Starsky knew the right things to say and when to say them. But it always amazed him that his friend was so willing to accept what life threw at him and still see the good there as well.


	14. Chapter 14

**THE EDGE OF DARKNESS**

**CHAPTER 14**

-------------

The next morning after Starsky was whisked away for his first therapy session of the day, Hutch took the time to reflect on his own injuries and recovery. Introspection was a bad habit. Taking on the guilt for things that happened to his friend was another personality characteristic that caused the blond to look inward and desperately try to understand.

Now as he sat propped up in bed after his own therapy session, he thought about what his injuries consisted of and tried to remember how lucky the both had been. But that nagging guilty conscience wouldn't let him rest. If he'd been more professional and aware, neither one of them would have ended up in such rough shape.

Hutch's injuries consisted of a severe concusion, torn ligaments in his shoulder and the head wound required an impressive number of stitches. Also he had several broken ribs to contend with. He required surgery to repair the damage to his torn shoulder. He was left with numbness which resulted in a temporary loss of function. But with intensive therapy, the doctors were confident that he would have full use of his arm. He worried constantly about his return to life as a cop.

He berated himself for his slow responses during their time at the hands of Stone Crawford. The blond saw himself as the cause of their present injuries. The guilt ate away his confidence but each time a doctor nodded with approval over the slow but continued progress, Hutch began to believe the words of assurance.

The edge of darkness affected each man differently but Hutch lingered at the fringe, unable to leave his guilt and self doubts. Once he was convinced that Starsky would recover, he finally opened up to his Captain, choosing to apologize for his inability to act professionally. Hutch felt that if he'd paid more attention to Stone, he could have prevented the brutal attack on his friend.

Hutch had rehearsed his words in his head but given the actual opportunity to speak, the blond realized that his fears were unjustified. His captain had listened to the painful words but didn't let the blond dwell on the needless worry.

"Hutch, I appreciate your concerns but it just isn't necessary to take on such responsibility. You don't have to shoulder the weight of Starsky's injuries. You didn't shoot him, you didn't club him with a baseball bat. It was the twisted mind of a killer who attacked both of you. Remember, you suffered because of his madness too." Dobey had leaned forward in his chair, focused his dark brown eyes on the bowed blond head and continued with his speech. He cleared his throat and waited another minute until Hutch raised his head and gave Captain Dobey his full attention.

"If I'd of thought that either one of you had acted irresponsibily or were neglegent in your duties, you can be sure I woulda kicked both your asses out of this hospital so fast that you'd be back in bein' treated for road burn!"

That part of his apology given and accepted, Hutch had been able to move on to the matter of Stone Crawford himself.

It bothered Hutch that nowhere in the man's prison records was there ever any mention of Stone's precarious mental state. Stone gave no indication of insanity and no witnesses could remember any time that he wasn't coherent and logical. The blond replayed the last hours of the terrible experience over and over in his head. He could never quite forget the weird swings of defiance mixed with indecision. He recalled Stone referring to 'the big voice in my head' and Hutch rubbed his own brow as if to wipe away the eerie feeling and memories.

He wondered about the situations that he and his partner found themselves in where often they relied on hunches, feelings and the nagging warnings they experienced. How many times had they said they had a feeling about someone or something they were investigating? How many times had they told the other about the little nagging voice prompting them to act? They both were intelligent and experienced officers and had learned over the years to trust that gut feeling if something didn't seem right. That often led them to solve a crime or even save the other from harm. Starsky himself had mentioned going with a feeling he'd once had about the blond's safety and had arrived in time to outsmart death. Hutch often acknowledged the little voice that niggled at him to go in a certain direction or follow the obscure or obvious choice.

But since the experience at The Pits, he spent many hours wondering where the line of intelligence and common sense became smeared and blended with the evil sense of duty which obviously had driven Stone. The detective thought back to the time in the bar when Stone seemed to be listening and responding to an unseen force. Particularly his painful moaning and crying at the end in response to the dog howling came back to Hutch. He wondered why no signs had surfaced before then that the man was wrestling with mental illness. Perhaps no one had paid attention. After all, he was a criminal who had murdered without remorse and had deliberately set out to hurt Starsky and Hutch.

Hutch sat in a recliner in the dark haired man's room. His friend rested against the mattress, napping after a particularly difficult night full of pain and his own demons. Starsky was finally released from the prison his leg had been bound in and this followed with therapy to strengthen not only the injured leg but included conditioning from head to toe. The therapy was not easy and resulted in pain of a different sort. But for Starsky, he could deal with that pain because he could see his progress and was confident in the end result.

The hardest part to deal with for him were the nightmares He had very little memory of his ordeal which in a way was good but that uncertainty plagued his sleep and he often woke shaking. He could never recall the nightmare but was always left with feeling insecure and frightened.

Starsky's edge of darkness invaded his dreams during the night but he pushed himself toward a more secure horizon each morning. He trusted that his body would heal and looked forward to getting home and back on duty. He knew it would take time but his headstrong attitude helped him make steady gains. He was not an easy patient, insisting on doing as much for himself as possible. He pestered the nurses and doctors to get him home. Consequently he pushed his body to the limit each day until Hutch had to warn him to settle down and rest.

Now as Hutch continued his musings, he turned his head as he heard Starsky begin to stir. The dark haired man moved against the mattress and his sapphire eyes opened to focus on the blond across from him. Starsky winced as he shifted position.

"Hey how about a little help here? I could use a push!" Starsky's sense of humor had never completely disappeared despite the challenges over the last weeks. Perhaps because of those difficulties, Starsky tried to find something to laugh about each day. Even if it was through tears of frustration and torment, Starsky refused to wobble on that edge of darkness.

Hutch put down the book he was reading and got up to raise the bed for Starsky. He reached for the crank with his bound arm until the tingling sensations forced him to switch hands. He tried to stifle a groan but when he raised his head from his task, he faced Starsky's eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"You still having so much pain Hutch? What did the doc say? Didn't you have an appointment yesterday? You never did tell me the results of the last test..."

"Whoa there partner, one question at a time but I'll answer the last one first. The results were all good. I have more strength now than a few weeks ago and the healing is progressing. So stop the nagging!" Both men laughed and continued with the friendly joking until they were interrupted by the appearance of Huggy and Captain Dobey.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:**

**Allegory: **A story meant to convey a deeper meaning in which objects, animals and actions in a narrative, are equated with the meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. Characters are often personifications of abstract ideas such as moods, feelings and ultimate lessons learned.

"Each allegory has a lesson:... our dreams come in the shape of demons, (animals) ...with deep hearts of truth that tell us solemn secrets of ourselves." Henry Timrod (paraphrased)

**AND NOW, THE EPILOGUE TO **

**THE EDGE OF DARKNESS**

Huggy recovered quicker from his ordeal and was back full time tending to his business at the bar. Surprisingly none of his employees involved in the trouble that day, had quit. They all loved their boss and enjoyed their jobs. The men and women had grown close and often talked about their experience. It seemed to help with their emotional healing.

Now Huggy sauntered into the hospital room wearing an orange cap, a lime green shirt, black jeans and over all of that, a beige jacket. He held open his jacket to reveal a larg bag. The smells coming from the sack taunted the man in the bed and he quickly made room for what he hoped to be a substitute for the inadequate lunch he'd forced himself to eat a few hours ago.

Captain Dobey strode in behind Huggy. He removed his hat and threw it on the empty bed. He watched Hutch for any signs of the stress and guilt the blond had poured out to him. The two detectives were incredible. They both felt so keenly responsible for the other that it hurt them deeply when the other was injured. It didn't matter if the injury was physical or emotional, they were there to pick up the pieces and make sure that those involved in the care did everything in their power and skill to improve and sustain the quality of life for the other.

Now joining in the feast, the men sat, easily talking and sharing the outside world with Starsky.

"Hey Captain, I wanted to thank you and the city for picking up my hospital bill! That was a grand gesture." Huggy set his burger down on his lap and reached for his drink on the bedside table. Dobey had fought hard to have the skinny bar owner acknowledged for the pain and suffering he'd experienced at the hands of the jail system's inmate.

Now the larger man squirmed. His generous suggestion caught up to him and he had to fight down the urge to bite back with a sarcastic comment. He had always tried to depersonalize his association with the man on his own edge of darkeness. Huggy had one foot over the line of the law and one foot in the police precinct and the Captain had to remind himself constantly that the thin black man was ultimately only a snitch. But Dobey had come to appreciate the special place Huggy had in his two favorite detective's lives. Over the years, Huggy had done many things to help his department and specifically in response to the need for help from Starsky and Hutch. Many times it was the other black man who provided solace and his own brand of help when there was no hope or other choice.

Reluctently, the Captain swallowed and waved away the gratitude.

"Hey, Hug, what happened to that dog you were feedin? Does it still come around?" Starsky tried to shift to a more comfortable position as he attacked the Huggy Special. The food in the hospital was the typical bland, tasteless fair but Huggy managed at least once a week to smuggle in a treat for the curly haired man.

"I'll have you know gentlemen, that this gruff police captain also arranged for Special to be taken care of in my absence!" Huggy's flare for the dramatic was in full swing today and Hutch just rolled his eyes as he took another bite of the salad that Huggy brought specifically for him. Hutch waited to hear this latest event.

"While I was laid up at the city's expense," Huggy again cocked his head toward the Captain to make his point. In response to that, Dobey made a grumbling noise while he continued to eat his fries.

Huggy made a face but continued with his story. "Your compatriots went twice a day with food and took care of my dog. Poor Special wouldn't let anybody touch him and everyone tried to take him home but that dog wouldn't leave The Pits! But now, the damn animal is hooked on donuts! If he doesn't get at least one jelly donut a day, he starts howling until I indulge him."

The room erupted in laughter at the thought of the dog addicted to jelly donuts. From not having enough to eat to being spoiled with all sorts of tasty morsels, the dog prospered with the unusal attention. But Huggy couldn't deny his new friend anything and was glad that the dog stayed.

"So now that you're back to work, has the dog allowed you to take him inside?" Starsky was fascinated with the dog story. In fact, it's the last clear memory he had of that day at The Pits. He remembered heading out to the alley to check on Huggy and the dog but after that, the next thing he recalled was waking up to pain and a pair of clear blue eyes providing warmth and encouragement.

"Oh yeah, my brother! That dog and I are like that!" Huggy held up his hand and crossed two fingers together in a sign of unity.

"Oh, there is one other thing I wanted to discuss with you Captain Dobey." Huggy's voice suddenly took on a serious and formal tone. Everyone looked over at him, expecting to see a glint of laughter in his eyes. But Huggy was all business in the way he sat straight in his chair and set of his jaw.

Dobey finished the bite of burger in his mouth, wiped the napkin across his face and in an equal pose of pious attention, waited for Huggy to continue.

The business owner reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He slowly unfolded it and then cleared his throat.

"Sir, I have in my hand a request for help. You will recall the amount of time and money I lost because of the police order to keep my establishment closed while your people crawled around looking for evidence and taking pictures of the mess left by one crazy dude. I had to call in experts to remove the blood and repair the damage to my floors. Then I had to endure endless visits from the department of health and the police board before my business was found to be clean and the countless codes brought up to standard." Huggy stopped and looked to his friends for support. Starsky and Hutch thought they knew what was coming and eagerly anticipated the reaction from their Captain.

Hutch leaned forward to rub his shoulder. The pain was bearable but nothing would keep him from missing this.

"So Captain, I present you with my request for compensation. I have itemized each request and find it only a fair breakdown of what your department owes me. After all, I put myself out in order to help not only Starsky and Hutch, but Bay City as well." With that, Huggy stood up, presented the paper to Dobey and walked over to the wall and leaned up against it. He pushed his hat down over his eyes and crossed his arms, waiting for the positive response.

"Ummm Huggy, did you think about this before you actually came here?" Starsky smiled a lop sided grin. This was gonna be fun and anything he could do to prolong his Captain's answer would only add to the excitement.

Instead of saying anything, Dobey stood up, glaring at Huggy. He scanned the paper quietly. He made several noises in his throat and scratched at his face as he continued reading. Once or twice he looked over at the man against the wall. Finally he handed the paper to Hutch and walked out of the room without a word. As the door shut behind him, they heard a loud peel of laughter which echoed down the hall. The two friends looked at each other and Hutch got up to sit beside Starsky on the bed. They both read over the list and just like Dobey, they broke out in laughter at the bar owner's expense. They eventually wiped their eyes and Hutch was finally able to speak.

"You actually believe... that Dobey will take... this seriously?" Hutch's words were interrupted with the effort to remain serious as he spoke to his friend.

"Well, it was my dog that saved my life and my dog that all the cops fell in love with and are the reason that the animal is so fat!"

Huggy stabbed the air with his finger at each point he made. His face was serious but his eyes were slits of defiance as he took in everyone's laughter at his suggestion.

"What's so wrong in requesting that Bay City Police Department provide dog food, medical care and obedience training for life for my dog Special? I mean, I could have demanded $100,000 for the money I lost while my business was closed. Or I could have demanded that they pay my employees the wages they missed which, I will personally reimburse them for. This way, they're getting off a lot cheaper and my dog will be fat and happy for the rest of his days! I mean, what's more important than looking out for your friends, human or animal?"

At that moment, Starsky and Hutch moved a little further away from the edge of their own personal darkness. The man standing against the wall once again provided warmth, humor and friendship to help both detectives deal with another dark and difficult time.

Often it takes our friends to pull us back from that edge of uncertainty and fear. One special person in their own special way has the power to provide the promise of support and guide us toward the brighter path.


End file.
